"Yah Hunter sounds like you have a good idea, why don't you walk into the centre and see if it is a portal. As for these books while many of them interest me none of them are useful for our current situation."
As you search the room, you find hidden under an old table cloth an unlocked chest. Inside of the chest you find a medium sheild, 10,000cp and 5,000 gp.
Madeline's sword appears to be finely made as is fitting the aristocracy. Based on your abilities to evaluate such a weapon, you figure it will garner about twice as much as a normal long sword.
While searching, you also discover a secret door on the west wall of the room with the dancing robes.
As you search, the robes continue to dance, oblivious to your presence.
You also notice that one of the books that appears to have been recently opened and the last book used by Charles is a treaties on destroying the undead. The book is open to the chapter dealing with vampires and describes the method for destroying a vampire as driving a stake through their heart and cutting off their head.
Edited: Falrun on 17th Feb, 2017 - 3:02pm
Gabriel places a hand of Drethen's shoulder saying, "Careful now. My suggestion was not intended to be fully serious, but if my words might be true I suggest not getting close to quickly." Still, the paladin did remember how the woman had not attacked them on escaping the coffin but had acted as any other would.
The paladin would allow his friend to move forward though to check the head for fangs in the mouth, still not believing her brother would do that which was so grisly. If only I had been there, Gabriel thought, if any of use had she might have lived. Perhaps even left as soon as it was seen the state he was in.
Edited: Thomaslee on 17th Feb, 2017 - 6:11pm
You check the body. Since the head has been removed it's pretty easy to check her teeth. You find nothing unexpected. And, the body is still warm as she's only been dead for a couple of minutes.
Hunter says, "There is a lot to take in here. Charles believed his sister was a vampire yet we could not detect it and he was the one who did not want the light. Is this a setup?"
He asks the magic users in the party if they feel any magic emanating from the sword and comments, "It was odd that a vampire would want a sword."
Drethen finishes up and takes the book about vampires and stores it in his pack. "I have a feeling that we may yet face a vampire here in this place." He will break off a table leg to have a wooden stake ready if we need it.
Drethen will walk over the secret door. I think we need to check in here before heading out.