Buford Automaton Character Guide

Lucas M. Buford

President & Founder

The character's profile can be read here.

Started the company with his late wife, Cordelia, in 1890 after their success in the doll market with their product Auto-Marie.

He likes chocolate and tea, dislikes Red Tribe Vibranni, referring to them, as many do, as "demons".

His demeanor is upperclass and flowery with many pleasantries unless stressed or doing serious business.

He is extremely proud of his work on Automatons, as both the fruition of his mentor, Lars', teachings and the only legacy he and his late wife would ever create together. 

He treats his research automatons much like one would their children, and has a strong bond with his coworkers.

Lucas's mentor Lars Attridge was the latest in a long line of mentors that decided to continue a subset of Doctor Andrea Moreau's work on humanoid mechanics. She was responsible for many crimes against humanity, and many, notably the Paorrian Automaton Science League, do not like his work because of this. 

He is a member of the Order of the Badger, which his mentor was a part of. He is frightened by Abigail and finds Phinneus to be antagonistic, but he believes in their cause and is warming up to the group as time goes on.

Suggested Piece

The Death of Monopoly

Lucas faces competition for the first time and builds his most wonderful automaton yet.

Meredith Blauchman

Lead Astam Programmer

A sarcastic, intelligent, and hard-working woman, she is quick to write and slow to forgive.

She is responsible for writing script-scrolls for all of the company's automatons, both production and research. 

She lives with her girlfriend, Felicity "Tee" Pennington, in Astam Junction.

Her father lives in Claurusia and is constantly writing to remind her of how successful her sister is down in Monte-Diamont.

Lucas treats this fellow script-scroll writer as his trusted right-hand in the company.

Suggested Piece

Across The Pond

Meredith and Felicity travel to Kuu in search of someone who can handle the script-scroll writing for Paorr.

Timothy Webber

Lead Astam/Gearford Mechanical Engineer

A simple man who likes to get his hands dirty.

He is responsible for creating the mechanical designs for the research and development labs in Astam and occasionally helping with issues in the production designs over in Gearford.

He lives with his wife Mesi in Astam Junction.

Suggested Piece

Timothy's Garage

He works on a steam-bike with his wife.

Henri Belanger

Head of Gearford Manufacturing

A gruff, old veteran from Monte-Diamonte.

He is responsible for overseeing the Antifordian/Arazian manufacturing operations.

Elin Máladottir (m•ow•la•dot•er)

Head of Fallinbannao Manufacturing

A softspoken, artsy woman who loves to wear riddiculously large antler headdresses.

She is responsible for overseeing the Kuuvian/Paorrian manufacturing operations.

Suggested Piece

Land of the Ice and Snow

Elin helps Lucas and the crew of the Gazelle to find her missing employees.

Kurt Nunes

Lead Fallinbannao Programmer

Grew up in Golah, now living in Kuu with his Uncle Jared after his parent's death as a kid. He gets overwhelmed by crowds, having grown up rural most of his life. He likes to improve things, be a handy-man.

He is responsible for fulfilling orders for Automaton scripts at the Kuuvian/Paorrian business office.

Suggested Piece

Across the Pond

Kurt is hired by Meredith as Kuu's first hired script-scroll writer.

Laurence Burgham

Junior Astam Programmer

He is the newest employee at the design offices, hired to fill in for Meredith as script-scroll writer while she is abroad.

He's very interested in proving himself.

Tracey Fitzgerald

Buford's Astam Secretary

She takes appointments, telegraphs, and mail for Mr. Buford.

Adele

Automaton, 3rd Instinct

Lucas's favorite automaton, she is the first designed to communicate with complex phrases. She is also the first third-instinct successfully produced.

She has extremely dextrous fingers which allow her to hold tea cups and use Claurusian Sign Language.

Suggested Piece

Mechanical Daughter

Adele has been given a part in a play and hangs out with Meredith a lot.

Jacques

Automaton, 3rd Instinct

Jacques was created alongside Augusta as a 2nd instinct, but was decommissioned after that initial research phase. There were several failed attempts to convert him into a third instinct automaton, but it wouldn't be until after Adele was created that they would understand how to create a third instinct and subsequently upgrade him.

Once re-activated, they fitted him with a series of phonographic sounds that would combine to create words and sentences in spoken Claurusian as an alternative to Adele's sign language.

Off-the-record, Jacques is Lucas's favorite for well travel as a quirk in travel usually miniaturized him, and Lucas finds this hilarious.

Suggested Piece

Hello Jacques

Jacques activation from his point of view.

Augusta

Automaton, 2nd Instinct

Bob

Automaton, 2nd instinct

Lucas's first automaton, originally created as a remotely controlled handiman.

Too many experiments have left Bob in a strange state, with many errors and misreads when reading script-scrolls. 

Bob was used to test out and play around with many of the ideas that went into production automatons, such as the dispensary arm.

Lucas primarily keeps him at his house in Astam as a pet who fetches the morning paper.

Decommissioned as of 1895.

Suggested Piece

What May Come In Sands

Bob and Lucas get into trouble out west.