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Description
"Dear Lord and Sir,

I write to you now with the most felicitas news. A happy development has made it possible for the new heating system for the public baths to be improved quite handsomely, allowing for more efficiency and greater temperature control, to say nothing of the safety of the employees and attendants. I must confess that the new system remains in testing, and is being continuously refined to the utmost, but the results are very promising and I would not dream of insulting the continual generosity your patronage has shown this establishment by being tardy with any updates of our progress. As discussed, the new concept of using the flame-generating properties of tieflings to heat large quantities of bathing water has hitherto proven most successful, in the face of several stumbling blocks.

First of all, an inducement had to be found to maintain optimal heat production, something that would not cause unseemly or lasting damage to the tiefling in question. To this end, we have found that tickling, a pedestrian as it may sound, has proven effective for this, but it has raised further concerns. Enough skin must be exposed to allow for continuous stimulation without loss of sensation, there must be close contact with the water to be heated, and the subject must be in some way restrained or inhibited from interfering with the tickling, pulling away, or otherwise resisting. The flames produced, by their nature devious, must be controlled and channeled in a safe way. Juggling these qualities like a festival performer has disturbed the sleep of my own person and of my aids no small amount, I assure you.

But recently I spoke with an old friend from Steamport, on the Sea of Fallen Stars. I am informed that mages hold the area to be in some way touched by the distant Plane of Fire, with at times very dramatic effects on the location and the wildlife. During what I confess was a great deal of idle chatter, I mentioned some of the pressing problems in my work. He was fascinated, and after some thought told me jovially of a hot spring near to the city, inhabited by a breed of fish showing the effects of trans-planar contamination, with scales like embers and which aid their swimming by the constant release of small amounts of steam. People able to make the travel or who are situated happily nearby frequently take to the water for their health, and there is ample evidence that the fishes are harmless beyond their strange appearance. However, they do have a marked tendency to 'kiss' the skin of bathers who have taken to the water, for reasons I cannot venture, a sensation that locals associate with good luck and which, while harmless, produces a noted tickling, tingling sensation. This is usually hardly of note, but in some of the smaller pools with a great many of the fishes village girls amuse themselves by competing to see who can remain in the water the longest, while scores of fiery, darting little bodies swarm over them.

At my inquiry, he was able to get some of the fish for me at a very reasonable cost, along with copious notes on their feeding, breeding, and maintenance. Previously, our principal test subject was held interred in a variety of copper pipes, with open sections to enable stimulation of her ticklish body and close contact of as much of her body with the walls as possible, allowing for heat transmission to the main water supply. The copper mongers have been very reasonable, but the costs have been great, and always there has been the problem of simultaneous access to the tiefling in question and to water. We of course found this one dancing for coins on a street corner, and while restive and with a mouth as foul as her heritage, she has so far proven tractable enough, to say nothing of extremely receptive to the procedure and with great potential for heat generation. She responded positively enough when learned that on this day she would not be returning to her tube, and while complaining continuously she allowed several attendants to fir her legs with a spreading bar. She was more restive when cuffed, but eventually conceded she had no alternative, after which several weighted bands were installed on her tail to prevent her wreaking any mischief with the limb.

Firmly secured, she was hoisted and lowered into the open tank of water, which had been populated with the small sample of fish collected. She began asking increasingly demanding questions as to their purpose, continued when she was immersed to the waist. The fish showed no fear or hesitation; with both them and the morsel offered being in some way touched by fire, they seemed even more aggressive than advertised. To our relief the tiefling was unharmed, and almost immediately began to laugh and struggle while demanding to know what was going on. Luckily the weights and spreader-bar kept her struggles to a minimum, preventing her from startling or evading the fish as they nipped over her. She continuously complained that the tickling was abominable, not lessened when an attendant leaned in and was able to tickle her underarms, held taut and completely exposed by her compromising position, and which while not previously tested also proved to be as ticklish as the rest of her body. Eventually she was lowered the rest of the way (protesting with every turn of the ratchet and demanding to be let out, I might add), with water sloshing almost to her chin, giving the fish full access to stimulate her entire body.

Suitably stressed, she quickly began to 'flame up', but even when she was only half-immersed could not generate enough to create a flame, as evidence by the attendant who was able to tickle her with singeing herself on her chain garments. The water came to a temperature slightly too warm to bathe in comfortably (the volume of heat released to achieve this end a testament to the intensity of her struggles), which I dare say is highly desirable, as it will cool slightly while running into the public pools. Testing remains under-way, such as the devising of a more effective harness to raise and lower her more safely and comfortably, without running the risk that she will be able to struggle or bring her arms down obstructively. The water itself works well to stifle her struggles and exhaust her, reducing her powers to resist most effectively and increasing her pliability while recuperating in preparation for another shift, which we're projecting to start at around two hours at a time, pending extensive testing.

As always, your gracious patronage has been an unparalleled boon both to this institution and to public health and order.

Your obedient servant,
Ran Taphael"

Today we learn to draw water! Or at any rate, I make the attempt. And it seems that it is going to take many, many attempts to get that right. In my defence, at least I didn't draw a giant vat of semen, which is how some artists seem to draw any and all fluids. Hehe, that's a funny thought in this scenario. I hear hot cum baths are good for the skin, but what would I know? But, sh*t, water's defining feature is that it is transparent, and yet it's easy to see! How does that even work? I kept some in a cup on my desk while I was drawing, trying to visually isolate how I could tell where the water ended and the ceramic began. And, that's still in progress. Oh, and perspective also makes me break out in a cold sweat, if it ain't obvious. I changed up my process for this one, and screwed up the layers a bit, which was a pain. But the good news is that I tried hard to keep from over-shading this one, and to get more gentle gradient from light to dark, which I tentatively think I'm getting better at.

Thanks for stopping by, feel free to leave a comment (I treasure every one), and have a nice day!

Description
"Dear Lord and Sir,

I write to you now with the most felicitas news. A happy development has made it possible for the new heating system for the public baths to be improved quite handsomely, allowing for more efficiency and greater temperature control, to say nothing of the safety of the employees and attendants. I must confess that the new system remains in testing, and is being continuously refined to the utmost, but the results are very promising and I would not dream of insulting the continual generosity your patronage has shown this establishment by being tardy with any updates of our progress. As discussed, the new concept of using the flame-generating properties of tieflings to heat large quantities of bathing water has hitherto proven most successful, in the face of several stumbling blocks.

First of all, an inducement had to be found to maintain optimal heat production, something that would not cause unseemly or lasting damage to the tiefling in question. To this end, we have found that tickling, a pedestrian as it may sound, has proven effective for this, but it has raised further concerns. Enough skin must be exposed to allow for continuous stimulation without loss of sensation, there must be close contact with the water to be heated, and the subject must be in some way restrained or inhibited from interfering with the tickling, pulling away, or otherwise resisting. The flames produced, by their nature devious, must be controlled and channeled in a safe way. Juggling these qualities like a festival performer has disturbed the sleep of my own person and of my aids no small amount, I assure you.

But recently I spoke with an old friend from Steamport, on the Sea of Fallen Stars. I am informed that mages hold the area to be in some way touched by the distant Plane of Fire, with at times very dramatic effects on the location and the wildlife. During what I confess was a great deal of idle chatter, I mentioned some of the pressing problems in my work. He was fascinated, and after some thought told me jovially of a hot spring near to the city, inhabited by a breed of fish showing the effects of trans-planar contamination, with scales like embers and which aid their swimming by the constant release of small amounts of steam. People able to make the travel or who are situated happily nearby frequently take to the water for their health, and there is ample evidence that the fishes are harmless beyond their strange appearance. However, they do have a marked tendency to 'kiss' the skin of bathers who have taken to the water, for reasons I cannot venture, a sensation that locals associate with good luck and which, while harmless, produces a noted tickling, tingling sensation. This is usually hardly of note, but in some of the smaller pools with a great many of the fishes village girls amuse themselves by competing to see who can remain in the water the longest, while scores of fiery, darting little bodies swarm over them.

At my inquiry, he was able to get some of the fish for me at a very reasonable cost, along with copious notes on their feeding, breeding, and maintenance. Previously, our principal test subject was held interred in a variety of copper pipes, with open sections to enable stimulation of her ticklish body and close contact of as much of her body with the walls as possible, allowing for heat transmission to the main water supply. The copper mongers have been very reasonable, but the costs have been great, and always there has been the problem of simultaneous access to the tiefling in question and to water. We of course found this one dancing for coins on a street corner, and while restive and with a mouth as foul as her heritage, she has so far proven tractable enough, to say nothing of extremely receptive to the procedure and with great potential for heat generation. She responded positively enough when learned that on this day she would not be returning to her tube, and while complaining continuously she allowed several attendants to fir her legs with a spreading bar. She was more restive when cuffed, but eventually conceded she had no alternative, after which several weighted bands were installed on her tail to prevent her wreaking any mischief with the limb.

Firmly secured, she was hoisted and lowered into the open tank of water, which had been populated with the small sample of fish collected. She began asking increasingly demanding questions as to their purpose, continued when she was immersed to the waist. The fish showed no fear or hesitation; with both them and the morsel offered being in some way touched by fire, they seemed even more aggressive than advertised. To our relief the tiefling was unharmed, and almost immediately began to laugh and struggle while demanding to know what was going on. Luckily the weights and spreader-bar kept her struggles to a minimum, preventing her from startling or evading the fish as they nipped over her. She continuously complained that the tickling was abominable, not lessened when an attendant leaned in and was able to tickle her underarms, held taut and completely exposed by her compromising position, and which while not previously tested also proved to be as ticklish as the rest of her body. Eventually she was lowered the rest of the way (protesting with every turn of the ratchet and demanding to be let out, I might add), with water sloshing almost to her chin, giving the fish full access to stimulate her entire body.

Suitably stressed, she quickly began to 'flame up', but even when she was only half-immersed could not generate enough to create a flame, as evidence by the attendant who was able to tickle her with singeing herself on her chain garments. The water came to a temperature slightly too warm to bathe in comfortably (the volume of heat released to achieve this end a testament to the intensity of her struggles), which I dare say is highly desirable, as it will cool slightly while running into the public pools. Testing remains under-way, such as the devising of a more effective harness to raise and lower her more safely and comfortably, without running the risk that she will be able to struggle or bring her arms down obstructively. The water itself works well to stifle her struggles and exhaust her, reducing her powers to resist most effectively and increasing her pliability while recuperating in preparation for another shift, which we're projecting to start at around two hours at a time, pending extensive testing.

As always, your gracious patronage has been an unparalleled boon both to this institution and to public health and order.

Your obedient servant,
Ran Taphael"

Today we learn to draw water! Or at any rate, I make the attempt. And it seems that it is going to take many, many attempts to get that right. In my defence, at least I didn't draw a giant vat of semen, which is how some artists seem to draw any and all fluids. Hehe, that's a funny thought in this scenario. I hear hot cum baths are good for the skin, but what would I know? But, sh*t, water's defining feature is that it is transparent, and yet it's easy to see! How does that even work? I kept some in a cup on my desk while I was drawing, trying to visually isolate how I could tell where the water ended and the ceramic began. And, that's still in progress. Oh, and perspective also makes me break out in a cold sweat, if it ain't obvious. I changed up my process for this one, and screwed up the layers a bit, which was a pain. But the good news is that I tried hard to keep from over-shading this one, and to get more gentle gradient from light to dark, which I tentatively think I'm getting better at.

Thanks for stopping by, feel free to leave a comment (I treasure every one), and have a nice day!