the Jurisaudra

Drown in the puddle you've cried yourself.

— Jurisaudra to a criminal

The Jurisaudra, commonly also referred to as the Tempest's Ward or the Knifehands of Hvalgora, are a pseudo-official order of Hvalgora that exist to hunt down those that are beyond the reach of Hvalgora's usual guards and armies. On the surface, they largely focus on eliminating corruption and rooting out injustice. Beneath what most assume, the bulk of their ranks are actually an order of assassins, mages, and alchemists that take on contracts for a wide variety of clients.

Jurisaudra Patrol by Hanhula (via Midjourney)

It may seem unusual for the supposedly protective order to be, in truth, an assassin's guild in sheep's clothing, but it has never pretended to be otherwise. The Jurisaudra take their primary objective of clearing corruption extremely seriously, and their secondary objective serves that well. By providing clear and almost-legal access to darker services, they are able to keep an eye on underworld dealings and prevent any calamitous events from happening.
Should an assassination be in service of corrupt goals, the client will know that they must justify their actions. While some with darker intent attempt to use other assassins, the Jurisaudra aren't stupid - they've contacts all through the underworld and a information bounty program that pays more than most assassinations ever would.
For the common folk, the Jurisaudra are a comfort. Their day-to-day visible presence reminds Hvalgoran citizens that they have folk to go to if they are betrayed.

Whether by a fellow or by a government official, the Jurisaudra will help them if needed. They often assist in local communities and offer training opportunities to children without any obligations or requests of loyalty, and in turn, most folk will gladly share information with them and go to them with concerns.

Calling on the Jurisaudra

You overheard that ship's captain doing what? Their bloody boat is wooden! If that lab explodes... Look, just stay away from it for now. Stay home sick. We'll go over and check it out tonight.

— one of the Tempest's Ward to a concerned sailor

The Jurisaudra have a number of locations one can contact them, and a number of public members who actively work with communities. They may also be reached via their primary headquarters in Hvalgora's capital, Vredekur, which has an extensive system of trained seabirds and mages that can forward messages across the nation and beyond as needed. Little in Hvalgora is beyond their reach, and reaching out to them is as easy as they can possibly make it.
If speaking to one of the local branch locations or visible members of the Tempest's Ward is too uncomfortable - a situation common for assassination contracts - then private appointments and especially secretive appointments can be organised through a simple cipher that was intentionally spread through the criminal underworld years ago.
By leaving indication of this cipher anywhere visible to the Jurisaudra, one can set up an appointment under one's own conditions and speak to the assassins that will show up.

Passing Information by Hanhula (via Midjourney)

Structure

It's a bit of a two-headed snake, no?

— cheery assassin

The Jurisaudra are lead by Rimantas Kurs, who is - by coincidence, not by bloodline right - the distant grand-nephew of Jadvyga Kurs, who founded the organisation. Formally, his title is the Zaiseva Boltwarden; he despises the title, so most just call him 'boss'. He is one of few individuals to keep oversight of the entire order, as usually, the two branches remain separate.

Tempest's Ward by Hanhula (via Midjourney)

The protective side of the Jurisaudra are those generally referred to as the Tempest's Ward (or, occasionally, the Wardens). Their ranks are more heavily structured, following traditional military ranks of captaincy and command. It is these people who walk the streets of Hvalgora's beautiful cities in full armour and in broad daylight. Their responsibilities involve helping local populations, maintaining connections, and handling corruption in ways that do not harm others.
They're just as capable of handling large brawls as they are at dealing with fast-talking political situations, and are very familiar with the skills of everyone in their units to trade situations to the correct skill-type needed to correctly manage them.
One of the most well-known recent situations fixed by the Tempest's Ward was very nearly a war. Warrior-diplomats from Halsgard were poisoned by a noble intending to manipulate one of them into a political marriage; the Ward caught wind, carefully extricated and cured the diplomats, and saw the noble executed.

That is about as much as the public hear, but their job does not stop there: the Ward look further into what has happened and investigate every failing, often rooting out other rats in the process. Should things get too close to the criminal underworld, though, then the reins of the investigation are handed to the assassin branch.

The assassins are those known as the Knifehands of Hvalgora. Their exact structure is veiled from public view, but it seems to be based on expertise and skillset as a more refined version of how the the Tempest's Ward function. Oversight is not only handled by the Boltwarden, but also by the twelve Zaivodai who handle accounting, contract legality, logistics, and other such important factors for the entire organisation.
The Zaivodai are typically some of the most dangerous indivuals within the Jurisaudra - and also some of the smartest. Promotion is not done through general experience and competence alone; it requires specific skill, and proven ability at whichever role needs filling. They are somewhat famed, because of all this.
Assassins, whether traditional rogues, shady wizards, or poison-loving alchemists, stick to a strict code of conduct in all engagements for the Jurisaudra, and prospective clients are expected to adhere to their side of this code as well. The code details measures of privacy and discretion, and ensures that no unnecessary killings or danger will occur during the contract.

Knifehand by Hanhula (via Midjourney)

It lays out prohibited activities, such as forcing the assassin to perform extra duties or breach unnecessary laws, and enshrines in its text that should the assassin feel the client has grossly breached either the code, the contract, or the Jurisaudra's meaning, then they may take action against the client. Not everyone reads that fine print.

Type

Guild, Assassins

Alternative Names

the Tempest's Ward, Knifehands of Hvalgora

Training Level

Professional

Veterancy Level

Experienced

Leader

Rimantas Kurs

Ruling Organization

Hvalgora

Location

Vredekur

Related Ranks & Titles

• Zaiseva Boltwarden
• Zaivodai

Heard a chap contracted one of them knifehands to kill him once. Sneaky bastard poisoned him and checked him into a psychiatric institution for some actual care, counted it as a breach of duty of care. Fair play.

— Hvalgoran citizen

Legality

While the Tempest's Ward side of things is certainly more above-board, the assassin branch of the Jurisaudra would usually be enough to see them outlawed and imprisoned in most countries.
Hvalgora works a little differently. Past instability saw a steep rise in corruption in the political system, especially with the countless wars the nation is dragged into, and its far reach across the sea.
Adding to that chaos was the rise of crime. Hvalgora developed a reputation as a lawless haven for criminal activity; assassination was the least of the nation's issues when theft, assault, and murder were common on the streets.
The Jurisaudra were originally formed as an adventuring party that dismantled the corrupted regimes allowing the system to collapse this far, and transitioned to their current pseudo-legal form to maintain what they helped build.
They have not been disbanded not only as a favour to the original founders, but as a means of ensuring Hvalgora's situation does not again degrade.
Maintaining a partly-legal guild of assassins, too, ensures that those skillsets are available in times of need, provides a legitimate career for those with ability and no other prospects, and ensures a level of responsibility and care in function.
It's checks and balances, all the way down. Hvalgora is stronger for their existence.

You hear about the brawl the other day? Bunch of the Tempest's Ward jumped a few of the lads in the alley! Can't wait to hear what they did, the guards were right pissed...

— gossip