Halloween 2024 in Second Life: A trip to Dracula Castle PART 2

The first evening of Halloween 2024 at Dracula Castle in Second Life exceeded all expectations! We gathered in “The Village of Vesnic” which hosts historical exhibitions related to the legends of Dracula and vampires, and from here we took the carriage crossing the mysterious road to Dracula’s Castle. The view was spectacular and the music added a real surround to the route.

Dracula Castle in Second Life was inspired by the legendary Bran Castle located in Transylvania, Romania. The real castle of Transylvania is on the list of the ten most beautiful medieval castles in the world compiled by CNN, along with four other fortifications from Great Britain, two from France and one each from Germany, Denmark and Switzerland. Some of the tour participants shared with us that they had the chance to visit Bran Castle in Romania and how impressed they were by its beauty.

The moment we entered the castle was an impressive one, especially for those at their first visit here. The tall, very spacious hall, with Gothic decorations and elements specific to the legend that surrounds the castle from ancient times, they just take your breath away. We stayed here for a few minutes, we talked about the beginnings of Bran Castle’s construction and about those who lived there, and we looked at every element from the fantastic decor. 

We then continued the tour of the castle. We stopped at the large hall with paintings representing significant historical figures from Romania and we talked about Matthew Corvin – one of the greatest kings of Hungary – and Vlad Tepes – the voivode chosen by the writer Bram Stoker as the main hero of his novel published in 1897 – then we visited some of the bedrooms used by the masters of the castle and the workers dining room.

We stopped then at the laboratory inspired from the novel “Frankenstein” written by Mary Shelley and first published in 1818, still considered one of the first works of science fiction ever. The name Frankenstein is thought to have been inspired by the name of a town near Darmstadt, Germany, a place of special significance to Mary Shelley, which she would have visited during her travels through Europe. It has also been written that this fortress has a rich history being associated with medieval myths and legends about alchemy.

The Fate of Frankenstein, the first stage adaptation of Shelley’s novel, opened at the Lyceum Theatre, London, in the autumn of 1823, to great success with the public. From 1878, author Bram Stoker ran the theater and went on to write Dracula, the most adapted Gothic monster in popular culture. Frankenstein’s creature is the second most adapted monster on screen, second only to Stoker’s Count Dracula. The most adapted man on the screen remains however Sherlock Holmes. (Source: Descopera.ro)

The Royal Chapel is one of my 2 most favorite locations in the castle – but you really must see it to understand why. As Wanders Nowhere was so kind to share with the visitors, this space was inspired by a number of great cathedrals he visited in Europe and elsewhere, particularly the ceiling and pillars and the church organ (which plays “Bloody Tears” if you sit and click the music box). It was also primarily inspired by the “Royal Chapel” area in the Castlevania games, particularly “Symphony of the Night”.

The second favorite location from the castle (at least for me) is the Library – or rather I should say “Everyone’s Favorite Room“, because it is simply impressive what you see once you get there! “This space was inspired by a few grand libraries I’ve been fortunate to visit, but also by a few specific levels in the old Castlevania games – the “Long Library” in SOTN once again and in Castlevania IV. However, I’m not afraid to mention another inspiration – the Beast’s castle Library and gift to Belle in “Beauty and the Beast” may have been a small influence 😉 I loved the idea that Dracula over his many centuries would have collected an absolute hoard of books. And I hope to add more haunted aspects to this room as we add more to the story over time.” Wanders Nowhere, creator of Dracula Castle and of Prehistorica – The Dawn Kingdoms 

We hardly step away from the library – it seemed as if we had sat down and reading, one by one, from the books placed with special care on the dozens of shelves. However, we continued our route through the castle that still hides so many halls and rooms waiting to be discovered by the curious eyes of visitors. We stopped in the Midnight Garden where we talked about the restorations and changes brought to Bran Castle in recent years, and from here we headed to the castle’s ballroom – another absolutly impressive destination. The reactions of everyone in our group needed no words – they were all mesmerized by the beauty and grandeur of the ballroom!

The castle hides dozens of other rooms that me and Cris visited and they are fantastically made, in the smallest detail. Wanders’ work is extraordinary – and he just finished his new work, “FRANKENSTEIN: The Gift of Prometheus“. This is a story based on Mary Shelley’s classic where you find yourself in the gentle care of Victor Frankenstein – and become caught up in one of his future experiments, meeting the original Creature along the way. It’s Wanders’ most ambitious narrative game yet, with multiple “cinematic” cutscenes, item retrieval missions and an ending with three separate outcomes determined by the choices you decide to make throughout the narrative.

I would like to thank Wanders Nowhere for the warm hospitality of allowing us to organize these two evenings here, and thus have a different, unique Halloween experience. He is a truly gifted creator, worth following – and his Sim is definitely worth keeping and bookmarked as a place to visit and recommended as a Top Destination in Second Life. 

In one of By Moga SL`s future articles, you will discover more about Wanders Nowhere and his work, in an interview with the one who still succeeds in bringing new and unique experiences for Second Life residents. Until then – you are cordially invited tonight – October 31st – from 1 PM SLT – for the Halloween Ball at Dracula Castle.

Click here to TP for the Dracula Castle tour

Click here to read Halloween 2024 in Second Life: A trip to Dracula Castle PART 1