Vivisectionist History 101

Roman scholar and alchemist Eudebius grafts an extra pair of legs onto a mouse. These grafted legs actually function but are not passed on to later generations of mice. However, these legs proved very clumsy and actually proved a liability to the mouse.

Under the leadership of Demesius, Eudebius' brilliant apprentice and now the second leader of the guild, the vivisectionists thrive and make many new discoveries. It was found that if the creature's own body was altered, rather than using parts from other creatures, that the changes were more useful, though still not passed on to later generations.

The guild goes back underground, but never fully recovers.

Immediately following the Third Crusade, the Knights Templar use a portion of their new wealth to expand their library at Acre. One of items purchased turns out to be a collection of scrolls written by the Roman vivisectionist Demesius. The notes had apparently survived the sack of the Roman guild in 277, and had been in a private collection when Constantine ordered all the works of the vivisectionists destroyed. Where they were during the nine hundred years in between is a mystery. These scrolls were transposed into a book form, the legendary Journal of Demesius.

Venetian adventurer/merchant Bernardo Ficino acquires (steals) Demesius' journal in Beirut and brings it back to Venice.

Florentine artist and scholar Leonardo da Vinci manages to bring to life a human corpse using a derived chemical compound that he labels the élan vital. The undead creature proves clumsy and stupid, with no memory of its past life. However, experiments prove that this creature does possess some intellect and is able to learn rudimentary tasks. Less than a year later the animated corpse dies once again, apparently of natural causes, and da Vinci eventually moves on to another grand design. However, the experiment is recorded in da Vinci's journal.

German vivisectionist Hans Schobecht becomes the first to combine the information in da Vinci's journal and Demesius' Journal. He discovers that da Vinci's élan vital can be used on animals, and further: it increases their intelligence. However, this intelligence is limited by the size of the animal's skull. He begins work on an ape he plans to be his greatest creation. Altering the creature's skull and its overall body as well, making it more correct in its upright posture, Schobecht creates the first true beastman, earning him the title of the title of The Father of the Modern Vivisectionists.

A group of beastmen escape, killing Benikoski in the process. These beastmen, mostly swine creations, have intelligence that rivals a human's, and as good, if not better, survival skills. However unlike humans, they reproduce prolifically, having as many as a half dozen to a litter. While the offspring do not retain the physical modifications inflicted upon their parents, they do seem to retain the cunning and more problematically, their hatred of humans. Within a decade, the forests between Moscow and the Urals are swarming with beastmen and their offspring, and despite massive military 'hunts' by the Czar's army over the next two centuries, the wild feral swine population remains a serious problem in Russia. Most of Europe takes heed and cracks down on vivisectionists. All major powers, including Russia, outlaw the science.

Fleeing persecution of the profession, the German vivisectionists Hausser and Stemmermann arrive in the newly independent United States. They set up shop in rural Pennsylvania and are soon providing interesting servants to aristocrats with odd tastes. The government restricts the men's operations, but does not bring it to a stop.

Darwin's voyage on the Beagle. Along with his own research adn observations, it should be noted he encounters slavery in Brazil and is very disturbed by it.

Darwin devises his theory of natural selection, publishes his journal (Voyage of the Beagle) but is occupied with geology, and is facing something of a crisis of faith.

Wallace re-reads Darwin's Journal, reaches out to pester Darwin for more. Darwin passes the torch, Wallace becomes the face of Evolution.

The US government begins to look at replacing slaves with beastmen, obviously not learning from Benikoski's Folly. There are severe restrictions on breeding, with all vivisectionists required to sterilize the creatures.

On his way back to the UK from Brazil, Wallace's ride, the brig Helen, catches fire and sinks - he loses all his work and specimens. Back in the UK, he is surviving on the £200 insurance settlement, and meets Lovelace and Babbage, who also are just about done looking for funding and ready to give up. They all spend too many nights drinking and discussing their histories, common interests, disgust with the continuance of slavery they have seen (Wallace was also in Brazil), when the light goes on.

A beastman uprising takes place in Arkansas. Details can be found in the novel: Insurrection, by Byron Starr.

Fears of a second German preemptive strike against France edges Austria, Britain, and Russia close together. (Again, over here, Austria edged toward Germany while Russia and Britain sided with France).

The United States is becoming an emerging powerhouse in world affairs. Their involvement in a failed Cuban uprising leads Spain to join the British/French/Russia alliance for protection. As a result, the United States signs an alliance with Germany.

The Great War takes place from 1880-1890, details and outcomes can be found in The Great War.

H.G. Wells releases his first novel, The Plantation of Colonel Moreau. Though fictional, it is heavily informed by his time as a British soldier in the Great War occupying New Orleans and its environs. Wells was an active anti-vivisectionist before the war and is exponentially more now. The book is wildly popular in the UK and France, and does reasonably well in the US among anti-vivisectionist sympathizers. Though he writes other books, none reach this one's poularity. By the turn of the century and from then on, Beastmen are generally called "Moreauvians."