▁in ▁town ▁to ▁perform ▁in ▁Richard ▁III , ▁and ▁v ows ▁to ▁see ▁his ▁performance ▁no ▁matter ▁how ▁it ▁en rages ▁his ▁father , ▁whom ▁he ▁has ▁grown ▁to ▁desp ise . ▁To ▁his ▁surprise , ▁he ▁is ▁sum mon ed ▁by ▁Bas arab ▁to ▁his ▁dress ing ▁room , ▁where ▁they ▁strike ▁up ▁an ▁unlikely ▁friendship . ▁However , ▁they ▁are ▁dist urbed ▁when ▁Bath ory ' s ▁v amp ir ic ▁attend ants ▁attempt ▁to ▁attack ▁Bas arab , ▁although ▁they ▁are ▁th wart ed ▁by ▁S ew ard . ▁As ▁S ew ard ▁ch ases ▁the ▁v amp ires , ▁he ▁is ▁struck ▁and ▁killed ▁by ▁a ▁carriage ▁in ▁which ▁Bath ory ▁and ▁the ▁v amp ires ▁escape . ▁Abraham ▁Van ▁Hels ing , ▁now ▁a ▁sick ly ▁old ▁man , ▁returns ▁to ▁London ▁after ▁hearing ▁of ▁S ew ard ' s ▁death . ▁He ▁bel ieves ▁that ▁D rac ula ▁has ▁returned . ▁ ▁Qu ince y , ▁through ▁Bas arab ' s ▁ur g ings , ▁becomes ▁involved ▁with ▁the ▁Ly ce um ▁Theater ▁where ▁Br am ▁Sto ker ▁is ▁currently ▁trying ▁to ▁put ▁together ▁a ▁stage ▁performance ▁of ▁his ▁failed ▁novel . ▁Qu ince y ▁is ▁shock ed ▁to ▁find ▁his ▁parents ▁are ▁characters ▁in ▁the ▁novel , ▁as ▁are ▁their ▁former ▁friends . ▁Qu ince y ▁fer vent ly ▁reads ▁the ▁novel ▁and ▁research es ▁D rac ula , ▁who ▁he ▁finds ▁was ▁a ▁real - life ▁Roman ian ▁prince ▁nick named ▁Vlad ▁the ▁Imp aler