One of the best ways to inspire myself to keep thinking of ideas that fit the theme, is to create a map that needs those items. So I decided to start work on a small gothic castle - something usable for a mad scientist, vampire lord, reclusive wizard, aristocratic ghost or other similar gothic horror concept. Posted below is the main floor which is the great hall. This would also serve as the dining hall, so I'm already thinking of laying out a complete banquet of decor, place settings, and serving containers with roasted pig, and other delectables for that. With the main entrance to the south, the spiral stairs to its right goes down into the cellar level. The stairs to the left go to the top of the palisade wall, exiting the castle at the second floor level. The stairs on upper right, north of the throne leads to the upper levels.
I also created the second floor which is the palacial area with a library, conservatory (where the pipe organ is), council chamber, state office (in corner off the conservatory), and I'm thinking a chamberlain's office and corner state room on the opposite. I already fixed the stairway leading to this level (even though its wrong below) to go the other way. The stairway on the bottom left goes up to the private residences (what I'll be working on today.)
The cellar level will include a wine cellar, a family masoleum, storage area, a large chamber for a laboratory or other dark master need, and catacombs.
Once all the floor are complete I will design an exterior top-down of the castle, castle grounds, palisade wall, gatehouse, instead of a moat a sheer drop chasm between the castle site and the cliff top across the chasm, accessable by drawbridge. Stables, servants house and kitchen, workshop and garrison barracks will all be exterior to the castle in the castle grounds.
I plan to add a chapel altar opposite the "throne" on the main floor. I want to create mounted elk and boar heads over the dining table on the wall south of it. Doing the roofs, inspire me to create gargoyles and other roof statuary. The library might get a large metal planetary globe, with arm for moon as a center piece among shelves of books, book ends and statuary. So as I say, needing to fill each purpose built room inspires me to create the right content to fit the theme, and actually compells me to work faster in its completion.
Posted below is what I've posted in my "Map Emporeum" thread in the Misc/Media forum. I've already fixed some issues it has, and started to furnish it.
