A team of archaeologist who uncovered the dungeons in Northern Turkey believed to have held Vlad III are now missing according to local police reports.
The team made the discovery while working to restore Tokat Castle earlier this week. Inside the castle the group found two dungeons dating back to the mid 1400’s when Wallachian Prince Vlad III, better known as Vlad the Impaler, was imprisoned.
“The complex is surrounded by a series of tunnels, some leading to large underground dungeons,” lead archaeologist Dr. Jonathan Harker said in an interview shortly before his disappearance. “We think we have identified two possible dungeons that held Dracula, we hope to fully explore those areas tomorrow to find clues about his imprisonment here.”
Vlad, who often used his patronymic name Vlad Drăculea, was known for the brutal treatment of enemies during his reign in the 15th century. Vlad often beheaded his enemies, drinking their blood in the process. Vlad was held in the Turkish dungeons between 1464 and 1474 before being released and possibly killed in 1476.
His penchant for drinking blood and the mystery surrounding his death and numerous sightings in the years that followed inspired Bram Stroker to write his famous vampire novel, Dracula, in 1897.
Rumors of Vlad remaining alive continued throughout the from the 16th century until present day. A number of researchers have attempted to identify Vlad’s burial-place recently but remain unsuccessful. According to local legend Vlad has remained resting in a familiar location with an army of converted vampires ready to continue his mass slaughter once awaken.
All attempts to rescue the missing team of 13 archaeologist has so far resulted in the an additional 10 disappearances.
“We have made a decision to abandon rescue operations due to the potential hazards of the underground passageways,” Local police chief Ioan Budai-Deleanu tells us. “I am sure there is no cause for alarm, likely just unstable underground areas. We simply cannot commit additional resources to this when we have two dozen local citizens complaining of flu-like symptoms and light sensitivity.”
In related news the CDC released a statement today saying the Ebola virus spreading rapidly across the US will likely begin to weaken thanks to an influx of undead vampires who are immune from the disease. A full report is expected Monday.
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