Ancient Magic in the Gaunt Tower

The Arcane Research Department of the Gilded Fable managed to locate what seemed to be Ancient Magic in a tower that had recently appeared in the Whispering Canyon. A party was sent to out to investigate the tower and the magic that was housed within.

Before setting out
The party was told to assemble at the Arcane Research Lab. There, the Gilded Fable's Archmage explained their mission and warned them for potential magical traps, as well as for the horde of undead present in the canyon. The undead were currently avoiding the tower, but unforeseen actions may set the horde upon them still.

He activated a Scroll of Teleportation to send them on their way, avoiding the undead, and gave them a second one to return with. He also made it clear he didn't want any undead to come back with them, as the scroll would bring them directly to the lab.

Outside the tower
Pugnant proved reluctant to pass through the portal as he had never seen such magic before. Frankos showed no signs of such doubt and casually walked passed his companion. The others quickly followed and Pugnant decided not to stay behind.

As they walked through the portal, Archibald reminded them that the portal closes when the scroll is destroyed, just before ripping up his own scroll, leaving them alone in the Canyon. Just as reported, they were quite safe from any undead even if the zombies showed a response to their arrival. The party examined the tower before attempting to open the door. Frankos gave it a kick and it broke free of its hinges, resulting in a deafening sound that was audible across long distances.

First floor
As they entered, they received a telepathic message from an unknown source. The voice welcomed the party as guests and offered them refreshments upstairs. Pugnant in particular was distressed about this and chose to hide. The party chose to ignore the voice for the time being and continued exploring.

The room the door led to looked like a dining or communal room. There was a large table in the middle surrounded by chairs. The floor was rather dirty and showed some signs of combat. Small machinery parts were strewn around.

The first point of interest was the door to the right. As they opened it and carefully peered through, a mechanic voice called out to them. The construct identified itself as J03 and offered to help them reach the top of the tower if they promised to help it find its missing parts.The party didn't fully trust the construct outright, but decided to let it lead the way for the time being.