It's definitely a vampire bite.

As Garrick looks at the books Chipper becomes interested in the bestiaries / theology and any aracana books that might be there. "Best know what else lies out there." he says gesturing to the lands.

"Well the bite rules out Gertruda unless she had a recent near-death experience." he asks Ireena, "Do you feel like you could walk? We may have need to leave quickly."

Kess pulls out the map and tools as Chipper mentions that they might have to get out of here in a hurry. She goes into another trance as she updates the map.

Cartographer's Tools roll: 13 w adv from Perception + 4 guidance= 17

Once the update is done, she will look for any routes that seem like they might be faster for getting out of the castle.

"I- I think I can, thanks to the potion."

Kess starts to check each of the four exits to this room. One is the way you came in, the next leads to a bedroom, one to a dining room, and the final one is- "Good evening." Strahd stands in the doorway. Behind him is a small room with no other entrance, and nothing but a small wooden chest. Strahd sees Ireena and asks, "What happened?"

"Wh-" Kess stares at Strahd for a moment in confusion, tempted to shut the door again but refraining. She supposes he must have gotten here in mist form, but what is more strange is that he was just standing around in essentially a closet. The chest also doesn't escape her notice.

"Another vampire bit Ireena," she informs him once she regains her composure, "She didn't see who. That seems like something you wouldn't allow." She'd been concerned Strahd might be angry they left the room after he said not to, but he seems unfazed as ever.

He looks and sounds annoyed. "Definitely not. So we have two pests, then.... Keep my darling safe. I will return, or find you if necessary, after I'm done exterminating." If no one attempts to interact with him, Strahd will phase through the floor.

"Two...? Would the other one happen to be Gertruda?"

"Gertruda? Why would she- No. It's not her. Someone broke in through the crypts."

After Strahd disappears through the floor, Garrick moves into the room and examines the chest. (Investigation 24)

”It’s weird he came here first instead of checking on the one he says he cherishes above all else. Maybe something that he finds even more precious is in this room.”

Now that Strahd isn't blocking your view, you can see the details of the room. Resting on the floor of this smoke-filled room is a closed chest surrounded by piles of gold, silver, and copper coins. The fittings and clawed feet on the chest are evidence of great workmanship.

Attached to the east wall are two torch sconces. The southernmost one holds a torch with an intricate metal base. The other is empty. A skeleton in broken plate armor lies against the wall. The skeleton’s right hand is on its throat, and its left hand holds the matching torch from the empty sconce.

As you investigate the chest, you find a mechanism that seems to release a gas when the chest is opened.

[[

For the gas, would you say the puff of wind option with prestidigitation could possibly be used for dispersing a small amount? Of would that encroach on gust?

(Odds are we'll want to hold our breath either way if we open it, considering a decent chance it'll expand larger.)

]]

Chipper grabs his thieves' tools. "Ah, gas. I remember one time dealing with some nasty stuff while trying to open a safe. Luckily my partner at the time was an air genasi that got us out quicklu, but it still gave me a nasty cough for a month." Turning to Less he asks, "Think we could help each other out on disabling this?"

"Of course. I want to see what Strahd is hiding in here." Kessintra nods and pulls out her thieves' tools as well, preparing to hold her breath as they work together on disabling the trap.

Sleight of hand on trap: 25 with Chipper's help

Also Amelia is watching the main room in case any enemies show up.

That's a bit too close to gust, unless it was truly a tiny amount.

You're able to fully disarm the trap. With excitement you open the chest to find nothing. It's empty.

Kess frowns, examining the inside of the chest more closely for hidden compartments.

Investigation: 5 -.-

If there's nothing, she will try retrieving the torch from the corpse and placing it back on the wall to see if anything happens.

Nothing in the chest. As you place the torch, the back wall slides to the side, revealing a hallway. This ancient hall is choked with spider webs broken by a single clear path down its center.

"Hm, interesting. I wonder where this leads." Kessintra will step over to the corpse again to check it for valuables or any clues about who they were in life.

All he has is his broken plate armor and a rusted longsword. It's likely that he was an adventurer.

I collect the coins around the chest and will begin using my experience with smith's tools and tinker's tools (smithing/crafting general knowledge) to see if I can check for false walls, hidden compartments, etc. in the chest. (Investigation 22)

There's nothing in the chest. The coins total to 50 gp, 100 sp, and 2,000 cp.

Garrick collects it to be distributed later.