I'm going to start laying tiles for the main area of the structure today. I used Excel as a sort of makeshift CAD program to help me plan tile arrangements. I've attached the plans below in pdf format. To help you interpret the document:
white = outdoors, not part of tile arrangement
arrows (< and >) = pointing in the direction of an entry door
"up" = an arrow pointing up.
sealed = I'm thinking it would be interesting if there were stairs descending from Valen's private quarters to a secret meeting room and vault in the basement of the main structure. The only entrance would be from the 4th floor (Valen's bedroom). I would use this meeting room in one of my Valen quests. Yes, I've watched a few too many episodes of "Secret Passages"
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???? = I'm not sure what goes here yet
"ballroom" = I'm not sure what else to call this. It's basically a large party room of sorts. It will probably have an area set up with musical instruments, to entertain the guests. I imagine there could be a bar here as well.
stairs: Just some tiles I've reserved for stairs. I'll play around with the arrangement of the tiles to see what works best.
Grand dining room: a place where many guests can come to feast at once.
I'll start planning out the guest house and secondary structures (guard towers, etc) after I get this laid out.
In terms of cell arrangements, I'll probably make the first and second floors into their own cells, and the 3rd, 4th, and 5th floors will be another cell of their own. The "servant's tower" will be a cell as well, so that's four cells total for the main structure. Does this sound okay?
Note that the base of the main structure is 9 X 15 tiles, based on the exterior.
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I've started plans for Valen's five quests. Here's what I have so far:
Quest 1: The player meets Valen. He is directed to speak to Brilnus Andules (the overseer). Andules gives the player a simple task, that isn't related to Valen's plans, just to see if he is reliable.
Quest 2: Andules tells the player to take a coded message and gold to a Dunmer staying at an inn somewhere in the city. I'll need to find an inn with an unused bed for this quest. There will be hints that this dunmer is Cammona tong.
Quest 3: Undecided. It will probably tip the player off that a plot is brewing, however.
Quest 4: Andules tells the player to report to Goldar Valen. Valen asks the player to take a note from him to five individuals, and tell them that they are to meet Valen at his manor. These individuals are:
-Brilnus Andules
-The Camonna Tong dunmer mentioned above
-The head of the local Morag Tong guildhouse
-The Riverside administrator (SCC0343)
*
-Undecided
Once contacted, these characters go to the secret room in Brilnus's estate mentioned above. Goldar Valen will meet the player at the entrance to the private staircase once all the conspirators have made it to the meeting room. Valen then tells the player about his plans for Silgrad Tower's independence from the empire, and emphasizes the danger Silgrad Tower will be in if the empire leaves Morrowind while ST is still dependent on them for protection.
Quest 5: Remember those four "elements" that I mentioned that would need to be controlled in order to non- violently win the city over (politics, economics, the military, and the Temple)? This quest would focus on one of those. I have some ideas here, but I'm still working them out.
How does this all sound so far?
*I currently have SCC0343, but it still has quite a bit of work left in it. It's fully furnished and all containers are placed, but most items have not been placed yet, and it still needs NPCs, AI, etc. I still don't know what to do with it yet, but I'm thinking I should probably upload my progres so far and unclaim it, in case someone else wants to work on it.