Meet Addison Thistle
Unlike the moguls of Chicago who made their fortunes in the industry boom of the Midwest, Addison came from the old money of east coast elitists. Once a part of a family that can trace its lineage back to before the Revolutionary War, Addison grew up with a silver spoon rooted firmly and deeply in his side of his clean-shaven cheek.
Despite protests from his mother, Addison moved from New York to Chicago after inheriting his father’s wealth and began seeking entrepreneurship opportunities among the likes of Sears, Roebuck, Armour, Swift, and McCormick. But while Addison played the part of wealthy socialite, he lacked the business acumen of his peers in the steel, textiles, and meat-processing industries of early Chicago and struggled. He kept up appearances with lavish parties, expensive dinners, and attending as many high-society gatherings as possible. His money was his to burn, after all.
Well-educated, good-looking, and a master wordsmith, Addison relied on his wit and guile to traverse the changing landscape of Chicago rather than his ability to produce. In short, he struggled to find a place in the new Midwest. He was the center of several scandals and relished in his role as social instigator.
That is, until the day of the Great Conflagration of 1871.
On that day, Addison, seeking only to save himself, abandoned the burning city and its people. But he didn’t get far. He was attacked by a mob of looters as he was evacuating from his house. Badly beaten, he was left to die in the streets. That is when a dark foreboding presence overwhelmed him. When he came to, he possessed unusual strength and abilities.
He spent the remainder of the fires hunting down those who had attacked him and feeding. He enjoyed every second of it.
Addison never questioned his newfound powers, though he was reminded of the tales of vampires in New England he’d heard during late night ghost stories with his family. Eventually, he would discover that there were more like him and, seeking to utilize this discovery for his own benefit, began positioning himself as an advocate for the Futurists — a faction of vampires who believe in revealing themselves to the world, taking their rightful place among them.
