[HotW Submission] Palatial Ruins (Large images)

Recently, I finally hit level 7 on Leo (more due to my own laziness and indifference towards PoE PVP than anything), and have been tweaking my hideout off and on since then. I feel that it's finally finished enough to post on the forums and see what everyone else thinks.

Before I start posting pics, I'll give a little bit of an intro on the theme. I decided to give myself a throne room on the top level, littered with cave treasure. From there, I decided I liked the idea of a ruined castle being found and used as a castle again. It felt very fitting to the game's setting.

Now for the details. We start on the lower level. I separated the lower level to serve as an outdoor servants' quarters, with the majority of them sleeping in a small campsite.



The blacksmith has his own shack, which he shares with his apprentice. I didn't have room for Haku or Vagan (wanted to keep Zana + currency deal exiles) so generic exiles are used instead.



A supervisor guards the servants' quarters, preventing unauthorized entry into the lower courtyard.



Inside the courtyard, the main attraction is a statue of some forgotten goddess. Few know of the map device hidden within.

I used bricks for the paths to the map device and servant's quarters to give it the look of being an afterthought, of having been thrown together. The path to the "castle" however gets the opposite look, very neatly and meticulously fitted together.



Also in the courtyard is Leo's tent. Someone with a history of fighting and winning in the arena, but with the combat disadvantage of missing a hand seemed like a good fit for the role of general. He stands at a tent with the stashes, flanked by elite guards (more exiles... Kind of wish we could get living Oriathan soldier type decorations)



Elreon runs the chapel, placed conveniently near the dungeon so that he can take confessions and administer last rites to the damned rotting in their cells.



The dungeon is small, but is carefully guarded by interrogator Vorici, who may take slightly too much pleasure in his work. Headstones can be seen, barely, in this shot, marking the passing of the heretic Catarina's former cellmate. Presumably they were placed there to threaten and/or demoralize the prisoner.



Zana, captain of the Guard, stands watch over the throne room, and the spoils of battle strewn about inside. Also visible in this shot is a view of the small holding area for my pets.



Finally, the throne room. A strong army leads to massive wealth. Though this does an exile little good in Wraeclast, someone's got to perfect sea travel some day, and gold spends perfectly well in the civilized world.



Some details: There are exiles sleeping in both the tent, and the blacksmith's house.

Looking very closely at the map device will reveal that an aura of corruption emits from it. This effect was initially more pronounced (had the catapult balls from Vagan hidden inside of it, as well as glowing embers all around it) but I decided to make it a little more subtle.

Speaking of the map device, in my opinion it looks especially badass with the Voidgate Portals open.



I'm curious what everyone thinks about it. Also, GGG, first Overgrown Hideout in hideout of the week, how about it? You know you want to. :)