The heroes find that the door is unlocked. Looking in, they find evidence of violence on the ground floor, which is just one large room with a staircase curving upwards clockwise to the east.
Four man-sized statues have been soot-blackened and covered by impact marks, as has a statue of what appears to be a giant ant-eater (not that the heroes would recognise it as such, probably). A small section of the floor seems to have been turned to flesh by some magic, and bleeds as if alive.
The stairway is quite wide and rises sharply to the rooftop.
"Eee. Not liking this at all."
You realise that the small, fleshy section of floor was probably created through a ritual, and seems to have been a test, both of the ritual and of the damage dealing potential of certain spells, much like the rest of the room.
"Feckless like. See owt useful, our Ynyr? For own uses like?"
"Now then, that would be most useful would it not? I am always anxious to add to my ritual list, aren't I? And ingredients are always welcome, I am thinking, because who is to say when we might be needing them?"
Ghadmyr looks closely at the statues for anything unusual.
Healaugh finds some granular crystals which he recognises as blastpatch:
Power (Consumable • Cold, Fire, or Lightning): Standard Action. You apply blastpatch to an adjacent unoccupied square. When a creature moves into that square, the blastpatch makes an attack against the creature as an immediate reaction: +7 vs. Reflex; on a hit, the target takes damage and suffers effects depending on the blastpatch:
Firepatch—2d8 fire damage.
"Best be taking this then, Ynyr. Don't bang pack down sudden like, mind."
Ghadmyr proceeds cautiously up the stairs.
Ghadmyr realises that the stairs lead to the roof, from the breeze coming down them.
At the top, he finds himself on the parapet of the tower beside the glass dome. A door leads into the room underneath the dome.
Carefully stowing the Blastpatch in his pack, and looking reproachfully at Healaugh, Ynyr follows the elf up the stairs.
Is the glass dome transparent, or has it been made opaque in some way? What do I see through it?
The glass is of much better quality than would normally be found and Ghadmyr can see furniture, including a bookshelf, inside. There seems to be no-one inside.
Ghadmyr looks to see if his companions have joined him on the roof.
Macmorr follows, axe in hand and eyes darting with superstitious dread. "Why are we up here? I can't see a giant pig."
"Grand view."
"Can we see any boar tracks from up here, do you think?"
Ynyr has also dragged himself away from the tempting observatory to join the roof gang.
Ghadmyr cautiously opens the door to the observatory (assuming it is unlocked) and peers inside.
The heroes enter the observatory and find inside, a table with star charts on top; these are held down by a crystak ball. A wooden bucket, half-filled with charcoal rests near the table, apparently for refueling the iron brazier in the centre of the room. The fire is out and hasn't burned in some time.
A bookshelf to the east holds 8 large books.
"Look now, Healaugh!"
Irresistably drawn, Ynyr goes to examine the books.
Disinterested in the arcane paraphernalia, Ghadmyr heads back out of the dome and looks out over the fortified area for any movement, or anything that seems out of place.
Ynyr finds several books on astronomy (worth 200gp) and a ritual book containing Eye of Alarm, Arcane Lock, Magic Circle, and Sending.
From the top of the tower, Ghadmyr can see several buildings in the inner keep as well as a grove of trees and many shrubs. He can just about make out movement in a stand of tall trees.
Ghadmyr quietly alerts the others and points out where he saw movement.
"Making plan then?"
"A plan, is it now, Healaugh?"
Ynyr drags himself away from the books and follow Ghadmyr's pointing finger.
"Can we encircle the area do you think? Or would it be foolishness to split ourselves up?"
"Perhaps we ought to make our way into the inner keep and see what lurks there."
"Reet. Going down lads, don't fret selves about coming up."
Healaugh bounds past his armour-clad comrades still making their way up the stairs.
"He is not very patient, really, Healaugh, now you see? Likes to be in a bustle, always. He is a good friend and very loyal, but he is not restful, is he?"
Ynyr sounds slightly wistful as he backtracks.
"Let's go. This place gives me the creeps."
Ghadmyr follows the intrepid halfling, eyes scanning for threats with feline alertness.
The heroes venture to the gateway to the inner keep. Inside is a courtyard with many shrubs, a stand of tall trees and several buildings.
Healaugh squints into the trees, defying them to hide their contents.
The halfling spies short, naked figures with green skin moving through the tree branches.
"Know owt, our Ghadmyr?"
"Green midgets. All I wanted was a giant pig, but now we get green midgets. This isn't going like I planned."
Ghadmyr has heard tell of these strange arboreal humanoids - they are usually found in warmer climes, and are known as Tasloi. They are often to be found riding giant wasps.
Ghadmyr relates his recollection to the group.
"Curious is it not? Why would we be finding these strange creatures in our climate? And does there presence have any connection with the white boar?"
Ynyr ponders aloud.
"Don't reckon it matters Ynyr. Likely they'll not be telling us anyroad."