diff --git a/scss/westgate/_controls.scss b/scss/westgate/_controls.scss
index 755bc03..7de9535 100644
--- a/scss/westgate/_controls.scss
+++ b/scss/westgate/_controls.scss
@@ -65,11 +65,9 @@
 .composer .preview,
 .composer .CodeMirror,
 .composer .CodeMirror-scroll,
-.quick-reply,
 .quick-reply .card,
 .quick-reply .card-body,
 .quick-reply .quickreply-message,
-[component="topic/quickreply/container"],
 [component="topic/quickreply/container"] .card,
 [component="topic/quickreply/container"] .card-body {
 	background-color: rgba(18, 15, 22, 0.96) !important;
@@ -146,6 +144,24 @@ input[type="number"].form-control::-webkit-outer-spin-button {
 	box-shadow: none !important;
 }
 
+.quick-reply .quickreply-message,
+[component="topic/quickreply/container"] .quickreply-message {
+	background: transparent !important;
+	background-color: transparent !important;
+	border: 0 !important;
+	box-shadow: none !important;
+}
+
+.quick-reply,
+[component="topic/quickreply/container"],
+.quick-reply form,
+[component="topic/quickreply/container"] form {
+	background: transparent !important;
+	background-color: transparent !important;
+	border: 0 !important;
+	box-shadow: none !important;
+}
+
 .form-control:focus,
 .form-select:focus,
 .bootstrap-tagsinput:focus,
diff --git a/scss/westgate/_header.scss b/scss/westgate/_header.scss
index 66397c8..2d5937e 100644
--- a/scss/westgate/_header.scss
+++ b/scss/westgate/_header.scss
@@ -4,23 +4,19 @@
   margin-top: 0.25rem;
   border: 1px solid rgba(194, 163, 90, 0.22);
   border-radius: 10px;
-  padding: 1.05rem 1.05rem;
+  padding: 1.2rem 1.05rem;
   filter: saturate(1) contrast(1) brightness(1);
-  background: url("./plugins/nodebb-theme-westgate/images/plum-header-bg.png") center 50% / cover no-repeat;
+  background-color: #16121b;
+  background:
+    linear-gradient(90deg, rgba(5, 4, 7, 0.82) 0%, rgba(7, 6, 9, 0.72) 22%, rgba(9, 7, 11, 0.48) 34%, rgba(10, 8, 12, 0.18) 43%, rgba(10, 8, 12, 0) 52%),
+    url("./plugins/nodebb-theme-westgate/images/plum-header-bg.png") center 50% / cover no-repeat;
   box-shadow:
     inset 0 1px 0 rgba(255, 242, 204, 0.08),
     inset 0 0 0 1px rgba(33, 21, 28, 0.5),
     0 18px 42px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3);
 
   &::before {
-    content: "";
-    position: absolute;
-    inset: 0;
-    background:
-      radial-gradient(circle at 22% 46%, rgba(120, 46, 94, 0.15), transparent 26%),
-      linear-gradient(90deg, rgba(14, 11, 18, 0.54) 0%, rgba(37, 19, 36, 0.24) 24%, rgba(37, 19, 36, 0.18) 76%, rgba(14, 11, 18, 0.58) 100%);
-    opacity: 0.82;
-    pointer-events: none;
+    content: none;
   }
 }
 
@@ -31,19 +27,16 @@
 }
 
 .westgate-brand-hero__veil {
-  position: absolute;
-  inset: auto 0 0 0;
-  height: 54%;
-  background: linear-gradient(180deg, rgba(11, 8, 15, 0), rgba(34, 15, 30, 0.62));
-  z-index: 0;
-  pointer-events: none;
+  display: none;
 }
 
 .westgate-brand-hero__inner {
   align-items: center;
-  justify-content: center;
+  justify-content: flex-start;
   gap: 0;
-  min-height: 128px;
+  min-height: 142px;
+  width: 100%;
+  z-index: 2;
 }
 
 .westgate-brand-hero__brand {
@@ -51,6 +44,8 @@
   flex-wrap: wrap;
   min-height: inherit;
   padding: 0 0 0 clamp(1rem, 4vw, 3rem);
+  justify-content: flex-start;
+  text-align: left;
 
   &:hover,
   &:focus-within {
@@ -72,10 +67,25 @@
   }
 }
 
-.westgate-brand-hero__brand [component="siteTitle"] {
+.westgate-brand-hero__title-shell {
   width: 100%;
   padding: 0;
+  min-height: inherit;
   justify-content: flex-start;
+  text-align: left;
+  color: inherit;
+  position: relative;
+  z-index: 3;
+  text-decoration: none;
+
+  &:hover,
+  &:focus {
+    color: inherit;
+    text-decoration: none;
+    background: transparent;
+    box-shadow: none;
+    outline: none;
+  }
 }
 
 .westgate-brand-hero__title-block {
@@ -83,11 +93,12 @@
   flex-direction: column;
   align-items: flex-start;
   gap: 0.35rem;
+  text-align: left;
 }
 
 .westgate-brand-hero__brand [component="siteTitle"] :where(h1, .fs-6) {
   font-family: var(--wg-font-display);
-  font-size: clamp(1.65rem, 2.8vw, 2.5rem) !important;
+  font-size: clamp(1.25rem, 2.1vw, 1.9rem) !important;
   line-height: 0.92;
   font-weight: 600;
   letter-spacing: 0.1em;
@@ -106,7 +117,7 @@
 .westgate-brand-hero__subtitle {
   color: #c2a35a;
   font-family: var(--wg-font-display);
-  font-size: 0.86rem;
+  font-size: 0.64rem;
   font-weight: 600;
   letter-spacing: 0.22em;
   line-height: 1;
@@ -118,6 +129,7 @@
 
 .westgate-brand-hero__widgets {
   position: relative;
+  z-index: 4;
   color: var(--wg-text);
   text-shadow: 0 1px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.74);
   width: 100%;
@@ -134,18 +146,18 @@
 @media (max-width: 991.98px) {
   .westgate-brand-hero {
     margin-top: 0;
-    padding: 0.95rem 0.9rem;
+    padding: 1.05rem 0.9rem;
     background-position: center 46%;
   }
 
   .westgate-brand-hero__inner {
-    min-height: 108px;
+    min-height: 118px;
     flex-wrap: wrap;
   }
 
   .westgate-brand-hero__brand {
     min-height: 0;
-    padding: 0 0 0 0.4rem;
+    padding: 0 0 0 0.65rem;
   }
 
   .westgate-brand-hero__title-block {
@@ -153,12 +165,12 @@
   }
 
   .westgate-brand-hero__brand [component="siteTitle"] :where(h1, .fs-6) {
-    font-size: clamp(1.3rem, 5.2vw, 1.8rem) !important;
+    font-size: clamp(1rem, 3.9vw, 1.35rem) !important;
     letter-spacing: 0.07em;
   }
 
   .westgate-brand-hero__subtitle {
-    font-size: 0.74rem;
+    font-size: 0.56rem;
     letter-spacing: 0.18em;
   }
 
diff --git a/templates/header.tpl b/templates/header.tpl
index c68484b..412826c 100644
--- a/templates/header.tpl
+++ b/templates/header.tpl
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 		<!-- IMPORT partials/sidebar-left.tpl -->
 
 		<main id="panel" class="d-flex flex-column gap-3 flex-grow-1 mt-3" style="min-width: 0;">
-			<div class="container-lg px-md-4 d-flex flex-column gap-3 h-100 mb-5 mb-lg-0" id="content">
 			<!-- IMPORT partials/header/brand.tpl -->
+			<div class="container-lg px-md-4 d-flex flex-column gap-3 h-100 mb-5 mb-lg-0" id="content">
 			<!-- IMPORT partials/noscript/warning.tpl -->
 			<!-- IMPORT partials/noscript/message.tpl -->
diff --git a/templates/partials/header/brand.tpl b/templates/partials/header/brand.tpl
index e0a7c32..f7f0b69 100644
--- a/templates/partials/header/brand.tpl
+++ b/templates/partials/header/brand.tpl
@@ -1,24 +1,26 @@
 {{{ if (brand:logo || (config.showSiteTitle || widgets.brand-header.length)) }}}
-<div class="container-lg px-md-4 brand-container westgate-brand-hero">
-	<div class="westgate-brand-hero__veil"></div>
-	<div class="d-flex westgate-brand-hero__inner {{{ if config.theme.centerHeaderElements }}}justify-content-left{{{ end }}}">
-		{{{ if config.showSiteTitle }}}
-		<div component="brand/wrapper" class="d-flex align-items-center justify-content-left align-content-stretch westgate-brand-hero__brand">
-			<a component="siteTitle" class="text-truncate align-self-stretch align-items-center d-flex justify-content-left" href="{{{ if title:url }}}{title:url}{{{ else }}}{relative_path}/{{{ end }}}">
-				<span class="westgate-brand-hero__title-block">
-					<h1 class="fs-6 fw-bold text-body mb-0">{config.siteTitle}</h1>
-					<span class="westgate-brand-hero__subtitle">Forums</span>
-				</span>
-			</a>
+<div class="container-lg px-md-4 brand-container">
+	<div class="westgate-brand-hero">
+		<div class="westgate-brand-hero__veil"></div>
+		<div class="d-flex westgate-brand-hero__inner justify-content-start">
+			{{{ if config.showSiteTitle }}}
+			<div component="brand/wrapper" class="d-flex align-items-center justify-content-start align-content-stretch westgate-brand-hero__brand">
+				<a component="siteTitle" class="align-self-stretch align-items-center d-flex justify-content-start westgate-brand-hero__title-shell" href="{{{ if title:url }}}{title:url}{{{ else }}}{relative_path}/{{{ end }}}">
+					<span class="westgate-brand-hero__title-block">
+						<h1 class="fs-6 fw-bold text-body mb-0">{config.siteTitle}</h1>
+						<span class="westgate-brand-hero__subtitle">Forums</span>
+					</span>
+				</a>
+			</div>
+			{{{ end }}}
+			{{{ if widgets.brand-header.length }}}
+			<div data-widget-area="brand-header" class="flex-fill gap-3 align-self-center westgate-brand-hero__widgets">
+				{{{each widgets.brand-header}}}
+				{{./html}}
+				{{{end}}}
+			</div>
+			{{{ end }}}
 		</div>
-		{{{ end }}}
-		{{{ if widgets.brand-header.length }}}
-		<div data-widget-area="brand-header" class="flex-fill gap-3 align-self-center westgate-brand-hero__widgets">
-			{{{each widgets.brand-header}}}
-			{{./html}}
-			{{{end}}}
-		</div>
-		{{{ end }}}
 	</div>
 </div>
-{{{ end }}} 
+{{{ end }}}