i. Sourcing and Preservation.
It appears certain organs of fiends and magical entities can be transplanted surgically into humans:
- Werelions: the rear inner lining of the eye is mirrored like a cat's, and may be surgically grafted to the human eye lining. Based on the giant amphibian eyes stored in the Lodge laboratory, I presume formaldehyde may keep these organs viable.
- Vampires: the fangs may be of value.
- God-like creatures. The liver of the great stag-man encountered at Wigam has been removed. Use and results unknown for now. Preserved on ice.
- Spinner's pump. Use unknown as of yet; appears to give life to decayed flesh and bones of any age, crudely reassembled to a manlike form. Contains an unknown liquid.
- As I was unaware of my surgery until well after it had occurred, I cannot at present describe the method. One of our party is studying this specialty so I intend to further augment this section.
- Already considerably weakened of strength and agility by the accident at Tsavo, and perhaps by the cumulative effects of the preternatural aspects of the various battles in Africa and Afghanistan, I was in a nightmarish state of neither living nor dead for some months while in hospital. At times I was aware of others in the room, otherwise, I have little memory other than waking in a state of terror. I am told I became like an animal, and tried to destroy everything within reach, including the other men, my own father, and myself. However I am not certain this is entirely due to the surgery as the military has its suspicions that I may have killed innocent men in the course of attempting to slay the dead that had resurrected and attacked us at Rorke's Drift and Hlobane. I assure you I did not harm any living man. However, I continue to suffer moments of deep disenchantment, strange nightmares, and a horrific fear of buildings, people, and objects engulfed in flame. The mood swings are sudden and violent, leading to inopportune outbursts, or, irrational fits of melancholy or terror.
A. Werelion retina grafts.
- Positive: I can see perfectly well in all but the pitchest black darkness. However it is not the same as daytime vision. It is more of a strange, glowing whitish-blue that allows me to see everything as if it were enhanced by a spectral phosphorescence. It seems that all natural things have the same glow seen in a firefly or will o'wisp to a degree. I am also convinced that I have seen men and creatures that are rendered invisible by sorcery.
- Negative: In addition to the mental fragility I described above (which does wax and wane, and has improved greatly since I left the sanitarium), I have also been beset by an unusual aversion to gold. A sickening feeling overtakes me if one is wearing gold jewelry and it touches my person even briefly, as in a handshake. I attempted to pickup my old pocketwatch and it was as if I was handling a red hot iron, leaving terrible blisters and searing pain that racked through my body like a live electric wire. I am sure that if I were shot or stabbed by a gold object, or swallowed one, it would hasten my death.
- Of note: my eyes, which have long been used to the blinding rock deserts of the Khyber Mountains, the searing white snows of the Himalayas, and the merciless hot sun of Africa, are now rather sensitive to the sun. I have taken to wearing dark glasses, and prefer to only go out at night. Sudden changes in light, such as someone lighting a lantern in a dim room, are still stunning. Their deep blue color has darkened, and there are small red and purplish areas on the white parts and in my irises where the blood vessels were damaged in surgery. My tears burn like vinegar if my eyes water, and should they fall, they are often hued pinkish-orange with excess blood. However most of the pain of the actual surgery has subsided, and I must reiterate that I believe I was kept in a coma or trancelike state for perhaps a month or so after the implants to better afford my recovery.
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