Sam's investigation of the writing desk finds it scattered with papers in entire disorder. Some are spells half-finished, others are never-sent letters that veer off into rambling - sometimes poetry, while others are just a collection of tomes on arcane theory and the interactions of typical Weave-magic with that of the Feywild. Inkpots have been knocked over and since dried, leaving ugly splotches across the pieces that inadvertently mopped up the spilled liquid, obscuring whatever was written there. The drawers on the desk don't seem to have been used for some time, and when opened reveal a stark distinction from the chaos of the desk itself. Inside are writing implements and other supplies, all neatly arranged and stored with meticulous precision. There are, however, no pearls.

Senna's glance at the animals - which both slam their face (snake) and limbs (octopus) into the glass when she gets close - tells her that they're extremely friendly, and the hissing is probably just the snake's way of saying hello. The magic circle you can judge as relating to energy transfer. It seems to be draining power from the crystal, to feed...something. Possibly the entire building, possibly a specific spell, but it's draining an immensely powerful arcane crystal for some purpose(s).

While there doesn't seem to be much in the way of traps on the floor itself, the stairs up to the next level seem to have a mechanical aspect to them. Tiny holes at the bottom of each step, and gears at the sides, indicate that there's something going on with them, but there isn't any visible trigger, at least not at this level.