Ryan Boot is an invented character. He starts as a normal man with the stresses of modern life slowly tearing away at him. He looks for solutions and finds one- syphilitic megalomania. He becomes an expert on syphilis. He is fascinated by Alexander the Great, Napoleon, and other historic figures who were supposedly infected with the fatal STD, syphilis. Finally he takes the chance- and almost dies. Again and again he tries defying death until he actually succeeds. He becomes powerful, purposeful, perceptive, and proud. He gains vast wealth by creating his own personal empire of extortion and crime. However, no matter what 'gifts' were given to him by the disease, it also gave him monomania: the only thing he desires in life are Beanie Babies. In the end he reaches Stage 4 of the disease, syphilitic dementia, and he dies.