Create A Forum - Support Forums

hi folks, couple of questions

1, gallery asks me to update my version, can i do this myself?

2. i'd like to have a more glossy black/dark carbon forum, with deep blood red trimmings, can you steer me in a direction that would help, and please forgive, i don't mean a general website address that leaves me trolling through lots of posts, preferably, just link direct to the info i need, would be really appreciated and a great help, i'm a novice, but i'd like to do everything i can myself, if however someone needs to step in and help, be glad to have it :-)

3.  if i can get a glossy black look, i wanted to stick a customer image behind it, so a slight transparency could help, the background will be dark with a faded image related to the band i'm building for, also wanted to add trimming/separators in a deep blood red

4. i created, what i thought was gonna be a welcome topic that with basic info on the bad, want this topic to stay above all new posts, do i need to change something in forum settings?

5. relating to the page, all the links to pics n hyperlinks have a thin light line on the bottom side, is this a resolution issue my end?

i use window7, firefox (firebug installed just incase) latest, custom dark themes for windows and browsers

 the band are from the UK, they have a very sort of medieval/paganistic theme to their art, i want to try and keep the forum relating to the themes they have, from like 17th n 18th century, maybe even 16th, i can probably make up celtic style marking myself etc, wondered if theres a way to put like a paganoccult chain/symbols along sections of the board to really give it a unique finish

big thanks for taking the time, sorry i wacked in all in one post, saves jumping all over the place awaiting replies, any help, advice, sites, manual assists would be very welcome and appreciated, if you also spot any external issues on the sit, please tell and i'll sort them,

cheers all :-0