Thomas Theodore Merlin rodio se u Londonu 1782, u aristokratskoj obitelji. Postao je priznati kriptozoolog, a osim legendarnih i misterioznih stvorenja, zanimalo ga je uglavnom sve što je mrtvo i bizarno.
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Prije nego što su mogli početi rušiti zdanje, građevinari su još jednom pregledali zgradu. U podrumu su otkrili bez sumnje najbizarniju i najjeziviju kolekciju. Kako su otvarali kutije, otkrivali su ostatke i trupla jezivih čudovišta i nadnaravnih bića; od lubanja vampira, kostura vila i zmajeva, seta za ubijanje drakule...
Merlinova strast prema ezoteričnom prirodoslovlju očito ga vodila u putovanjima u najskrivenije kutke planeta. Je li nešto od svojih pronalazaka odnio kući? Je li žrtva prevaranata koju su znali da imaju posla s bogatim Englezom koji će kupiti sve što djeluje nadnaravno? Ili su ga možda legende i priče nadahnule da sam izradi čudovišta? Ili je sve samo temeljito razrađerna spačka ekscentričnog gospodina?