I don't think there is anything worth looting in Penumbra's room.
The path of the divine can be enabled before the wastelands, but you need a clear line of sight for the Translocate spell, so it would not get you through doors or walls.
The house in the dark forest you asked about was suppose to be Boratus' house. During playtesting the Larians decided the forest was a little big, so cut off the south east corner with a river and moved Boratus to a more central location.
I don't know of any way to move objects not designed to be moveable.
