Atticus Drake is an enigma. On the surface, he is a devilishly handsome man with dark hair and a goatee characterized by the steely gray of advanced middle age. But beneath this handsome façade is a man of intellect, a student of technology, and a founding member of the Society for the Progression of Science and Technology. Yet one can’t help but feel there is even more. The way he carries himself, his stare, which takes in all aspects of a situation with a glance, and his knack for always being at the right place at the right time all speak to something hereto undiscovered about him.

Be that as it may, Atticus has proven himself an ally to the Nameless Assassin and his cohorts and an eager participant in foiling the machinations of their mutual enemies. Although he is not from Alchester originally, he has adopted the city as his home, so he has every reason to want to protect it along with his interests.

Those interests include but are not limited to the affairs of the Progressive Society, whose mission is to foster the adoption of new technology for the betterment of civilization as a whole. As a founding member, Atticus has much influence over the society’s direction and its members. Recruitment of scientifically minded individuals and their projects is always foremost in his mind. As chair of the financial committee, he has a similarly important role in rewarding grants to technologists whose projects demonstrate promise.

Though it is unclear where Atticus made his fortune, he is most certainly a wealthy individual, with a sizeable manor, a small household staff, and Samuel, his right-hand man, whose loyalty extends well beyond the regular salary he collects.

As a technologist himself, Atticus pursues his own areas of interest in a private workshop and laboratory he maintains in his basement.

THE SOCIETY FOR THE PROGRESSION OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Abelard from The Assassin’s Blade describes the Progressive Society best when he says, “They are a public organization, though presently a minor one in the grand scheme of things. They have, however, been slowly gaining support amongst the gentry, and their numbers are growing. Their charter calls for the advancement and proliferation of technology. More specifically, they feel the people of Uhl can benefit from greater use of modern inventions, so they’ve taken it upon themselves to promote both the mundane—think street glow-lamps, like the ones popping up around Alchester of late—to the grandiose, such as their funding of the construction of an automated, alchemically-driven grain mill outside Merchant’s Square.”

Atticus sits on the Primary Council, the society’s ruling body, as a duly elected member, but he also holds great sway because of the relations he maintains with the society’s most influential members. The Progressive Society is very much a passion of his. It is in many ways his entire life as he has devoted much time and resources to its founding and continued prosperity.

FIRST APPEARANCE

Atticus first appears in The Assassin's Blade (Assassin Without a Name Book One).