Oh Lotus? How are you going to do a "take-over"? I don't RP, but it'd be interesting to do something other than Companion or Dawnguard stuff. After becoming Guild Master and Listener, I more or less stopped doing those, as they got too repetitive.
So I spend a lot of time exploring and gathering specific ore's or Alchemy mats.
Apparently I was wrong about the respawn. I did a test like I mentioned in the post above and nada on the respawn unfortunately. But I know for sure the torch thing works because I did it just last night again. Right now, if you count the torches I have burning in my tusk pile along either side of the stairwell, I have about 30 torches blazing in there. If you go in to the guard barracks in Whiterun, you'll find a trap door in a room to the left after you enter. The trap door leads to Dragonsreach Dungeon. A small sewer-like place that holds about 12 torches you are free to take. When you have them all, you may leave and come back as often as you would like and they will respawn immediately. If you've never been there, be sure you have lockpicks on you as there is one locked gate obstructing you. Once you unlock it, it will stay unlocked.
As far as the take-over goes, I dunno... I'm sick of saving the world. I think this time I'm gonna keep the sun blotted out and kill everyone I can once I control the main factions. I've already helped everyone over and over. Now it's time to see how empty and bleak I can make Skyrim without mods.