Aidan

=== "You mean I get to live forever... looking like this?  Cool." - Aidan's last words as a mortal ===
== Stats ==
*Name: Aidan Pryde
*Clan: Toreador
*Generation: 13
*Embrace Date: Late 70's
*Demeanor: Competitor
*Apparent Age: Late 20's
*Camarilla Status: 2
*Clan Status: 1
*Sire: Lucille Graves (currently in New York)
*Childer: None
==Background==
Aidan Pryde was born in 1951 in a small Ohio town. His father owned a small motorcycle repair shop, thus Aidan was drawn to motorcycles from a very young age. He helped his father at the shop, learning how to fix and eventually build and customize them. Always the adventurous type, Aidan eventually became more interested in riding motorcycles than repairing them. He began racing in local amateur motocross events at age 14, much to his father's chagrin.
Feeling increasingly bored and stifled in a small Midwestern town, Aidan volunteered for the U.S. Marine Corps after graduating high school. The allure of facing "real action" in Vietnam was too appealing to pass up. During his second tour in Vietnam, Aidan's platoon was ambushed while out on patrol, and he watched one of closest friends get torn apart by a mortar shell blast. Up to this point, Aidan had largely been unaffected by the war. In fact, he had relished the adrenaline rush provided by combat, always volunteering to for the toughest, most dangerous assignments. This battle changed him. The image of his friend's mangled corpse was seared deep into his subconscious, never to truly fade away. Although he loved the thrill of combat (almost to the point of recklessness), the death of his young friend forced Aidan to reflect on his own mortality for the first time. He resolved to enjoy life to its fullest, without any regrets.
Aidan left the Marines in 1973 and immediately returned to his old passion of motorcycles, joining a low-level professional racing circuit and quickly establishing a reputation as a talented, fearless competitor. He moved up the ranks swiftly, joining the top-level national racing circuit, the AMA Grand National Championship, after only two years of professional experience. Aidan was named Rookie of the Year in 1975. As impressive as his on-track accomplishments were, it was Aidan's exploits off the track that began attracting attention. He gained infamy for his all-night parties, his long list of female conquests, and his extravagant lifestyle.
His meteoric rise came at cost, however. After his sensational rookie season, Aidan's attention wandered more and more to pursuits of pleasure. This lack of focus ultimately resulted in a horrific crash during a race that nearly killed him in 1976. For the second time in his life, Aidan was forced to face his own mortality. He realized that his life was too unbalanced and resolved to dedicate himself more to racing and to tone down the crazy partying. After a lengthy rehab period, Aidan returned to the track in 1978. Aidan found his winning form that year, winning several races and nearly winning the overall championship. Although disappointed with finishing in second place, he was pleased with his comeback.
Attending a party in Nashville celebrating Aidan's successful season were many of his fans and sponsors. Among the crowd was a relatively new racing fan who boldly approached Aidan. A beauty in her own right, Aidan couldn't help but be enraptured by the young woman who introduced herself as Lucy. Meeting Lucy would change Aidan's life forever. Lucy was a vampire of Clan Toreador. Among the Toreador of Nashville, Tennessee, motorsports were all the rage in the late 1970's. The drivers were usually attractive, self-confident, and they often attended the same late night parties as the Toreador whenever a race was in town. Lucy had been following Aidan's career from his rookie season. His hedonistic ways were very attractive to Lucy, but his misogynistic attitude towards women, and general lack of sophistication left a lot to be desired. Lucy had made a bet with one of her coterie that she could mold Aidan into a model Toreador in less than a year. She called in some favors and gained permission to Embrace Aidan, and tonight would be the night.
It wasn't long before Aidan and Lucy left the party and were back at his hotel suite. At some point during their tryst, Lucy revealed her true vampiric nature. She had expected Aidan to recoil in horror, but he didn't. Impressed by his courage, she divulged her plan to turn him into a vampire and teach him their ways. He asked her a few a questions about being a vampire, but all he needed to hear was that he would effectively become immortal. He could push the envelope farther than ever before and not fear death. He agreed to the Embrace wholeheartedly. Lucy was delighted.
Over the next year, Aidan tried his best to please his Sire, attempting to learn the ways of the Kindred and Clan Toreador, but his willful and stubborn nature prevented him from truly changing his behavior. He constantly embarrassed Lucy at formal events, and continued to objectify women. Lucy had lost the bet, but she didn't really care anymore, as she had become so exasperated with Aidan that she really didn't want him around anymore. Moreover, the Toreador of Nashville had begun losing interest in motorsports, so having a professional driver as a childe was no longer "en vogue".
Aidan was hurt to be shunned by Lucy and the other Toreador, and he was shocked to learn that he had been embraced on a bet. He wanted to return to his passion of motorcycle racing to take his mind off his troubles, but it was impossible. After he had been embraced, Aidan had mysteriously retired from the AMA Grand National Championship in order to "pursue other interests", as most of those races were held during the day. But there were ways to race motorcycles exclusively at night. The most dangerous option was of course the most appealing to Aidan: illegal street races.
Aidan took to the illegal street racing scene like a fish to water. He won so many races in the Nashville area that eventually nobody would race him for money. So he decided to leave Nashville in search of more races. When he told Lucy that he was leaving, she supported the idea. She sensed that passion that attracted her to him in the first place had returned, and she would never stand in the way of a Toreador pursuing that passion.
Over the next couple of decades, Aidan crisscrossed the country. He would stay in a city long enough to earn notoriety then move on to the next city. He learned how travel through Lupine territory safely. On his travels, he would learn about the Kindred of each city and tell Lucy about them. She found Aidan's information extremely useful, and she in turn would send him money and gifts. One of those gifts was a tractor-trailer that Aidan could use as a mobile haven and as a garage for his motorcycle. Along with the truck came a driver/mechanic named Jethro, whom Aidan immediately ghouled. Jethro has faithfully served Aidan for over ten years.
Recently, Lucy has heard of the turmoil engulfing New Orleans and is curious about what's really going on. She has asked Aidan to check the city out and report back with anything interesting or useful. Aidan agreed. Arriving from Houston, he has set up shop at a truck stop hotel about twenty miles outside New Orleans. Aidan has also heard of New Orleans' troubles and eagerly looks forward to seeing what kind of trouble awaits him in the Crescent City.
Category:Player Character
Category:Toreador
Category:Regulators