Argonian Hearthfires, because I might do it again. Options

[ghastley]

Darkwater Den is a great home, but it's too complete. My character Hot-Lips doesn't want to be reminded that she hasn't collected any of the Dragon masks, or claws, or paragons, or...

So she found the ruin at the bottom of the Eastern end of Lake Ilinata, and after clearing a bit of rubble, opened the door beneath it. There was a small ruin that just needed a bit more rubble moved out, and would be quite inhabitable.

I'll be stealing ideas from Arthmoor's Volkihar Castle cleanup, and using rubble piles as activators to clear rooms, except that I'll take it a bit further with the way they block the room, and there will be Hearthfire workbenches in the resulting empty rooms. You'll make the furniture in the same way, but you won't build the house, you'll just dig it out.

So far I have:
Underwater entrance to suit an Argonian.
Nice damp ambience, with roots and moss in the main living areas - greenish lighting.
Kitchen and Armory/Forge are clear of roots and moss and have regular yellow candlelight / orange forge glow.

Rooms are:

• Partially flooded passage with stairs up to entrance hall
• Entrance hall/dining room which connects to
  • Armory/forge
  • Kitchen
  • Bedroom (large enough for parents and kids)
• Bedroom connects to
  • Enchanting lab
  • Alchemy lab (with secret door to shore exit)
• Secret passage to shore exit.

The exit on shore is undecided - I'd like to use a large hollow tree to hide it.

I've connected to rubble and clutter in front of the underwater door to a parent marker which will all be disabled by the quest that gets you the ownership. I want to do something similar to the Orc one, where you do a number of "favor" quests for Argonians to deserve the home, as well as doing all the building, but I'm not sure there are enough of those. Rescuing Derkeethus, of course, but what else?

I haven't yet Nav-meshed the interior, or placed the log for the shore entrance. I still need to add a lot more clutter, including the bookshelves, weapon racks etc. that take so long to connect up. And I can't show you any screenshots until I get the new server built.

It turns out that there are only six available quests that will count. Three in Riften (not including From-Deepest-Fathoms!) and three in Windhelm docks. They include some theft, but no murders. I'm thinking only two needed this time, instead of the five for the Orc Stronghold, where a lot more were available, especially mining.

This post has been edited by ghastley: May 31 2015, 02:03 AM

[ghastley]

Did some reshooting after adding some of the clutter (all of which still needs enable parents, etc.)

Hot-Lips at the front door under Lake Ilinalta. This area is covered in rubble in the base game, and the rubble pile is removed and the door added when you're notified of the site. Map marker is enabled, too.

Derkeethus at the back door in the log. The back door doesn't exist until the secret exit is built.

The living room which needs more clutter, and the troll skull shouldn't be falling through the shelf!

The bedroom needs plants (or provision for planting). It has bookshelf space for 60 books, and child beds/chests for adoption.

The kitchen is about right.

The workshop needs clutter.

I still need to add some weapon racks and stuff to the Alchemy lab and the Enchanting lab. Lots of fiddly pieces and scripts to wire up. When I finish placing the furnishings, the I have to make the recipes and misc items to build it all, and finally cover it all in rubble so you can dig it out!

[mALX]

Did some reshooting after adding some of the clutter (all of which still needs enable parents, etc.)

Hot-Lips at the front door under Lake Ilinalta. This area is covered in rubble in the base game, and the rubble pile is removed and the door added when you're notified of the site. Map marker is enabled, too.

Derkeethus at the back door in the log. The back door doesn't exist until the secret exit is built.

The living room which needs more clutter, and the troll skull shouldn't be falling through the shelf!

The bedroom needs plants (or provision for planting). It has bookshelf space for 60 books, and child beds/chests for adoption.

The kitchen is about right.

The workshop needs clutter.

I still need to add some weapon racks and stuff to the Alchemy lab and the Enchanting lab. Lots of fiddly pieces and scripts to wire up. When I finish placing the furnishings, the I have to make the recipes and misc items to build it all, and finally cover it all in rubble so you can dig it out!

I love the idea of having to unearth it! That troll skull in the living room tickled me, it fits perfectly with the idea of the house being an archaeological find/dig - kind of a clue to the original residents? Anyway, I love it!