Zaiseva Boltwarden

Does it really need to be such an unwieldy title?

— Rimantas Kurs

The Zaiseva Boltwarden, often shortened simply to the Warden (or 'boss' by subordinates), is the formal leader of the Jurisaudra, a pseudo-legal vigilante group that acts both as an anti-corruption watchdog and as an assassins guild.

Diplomacy by Hanhula (via Midjourney)

The leader walks a careful line - they must not only be vigilant for corruption in Hvalgoran society, nor only be atop of all contracts the assassins are potentially accepting, but must also have the diplomatic skills to ensure that Hvalgora's elites do not turn on them and consider them traitors to the nation they have so ardently served.
It's certainly a heavy position. Nobility is hard to deal with on the best of days, and the Boltwarden must assure them of the value of having an anti-corruption watchdog that may very well uncover issues in said noble's own home. If that hurdle is passed, then the Boltwarden must also handle the issue of assassinations.
The value of a life is precious to most; convincing the dearer hearts that managing a guild specialising in death is far safer than allowing the same activities to occur unmonitored is far more of a challenge than one could even expect.
All this, and yet there's more.

The Boltwarden still also has to handle all the details of the Jurisaudra's organisation. They have the ultimate sign-off on any decisions, and despite delegating most of the work, still need to be involved with many of the heavier decisions.

Qualifications

Trust me, you don't want to know how much goes into this.

— Boltwarden Kurs

In addition to the extensive standard list of qualifications required to join the Jurisaudra, the Boltwarden requires a significant amount of extra knowledge. They must be qualified enough to become one of the Zaivodai - those who run the assassination side of the Jurisaudra - whilst also having the connections, attention to detail, and political understanding needed to handle the other side of the organisation.
They must also have a strong general understanding of how the organisation is run, and must be incredibly skilled in battle. When a Boltwarden first becomes a Boltwarden, they add a requirement to the list of requirements (and accompanying tests) that any prospective Boltwardens must obtain and prove to succeed them in the role; it is this intense process, known as the Rite of Clarity, that truly defines the role's ability.
Over fifty people attempted to replace the previous Boltwarden when she retired. Even with her training, it took almost a year for Rimantas Kurs to finally pass the Rite and add his own trial to the list of those before him.

Contracts by Hanhula (via Midjourney)

Duties

It's so many meetings.

— Boltwarden Kurs

Hunting by Hanhula (via Midjourney)

As a powerful leadership role, it should come as no surprise that a Boltwarden's day is almost always consumed with endless meetings delegating duties out to lesser members of the organisation, checking in on the progress of plans, initiatives, or contracts, or speaking with high-ranking members of Hvalgoran society. It is their duty as Boltwarden to ensure the smooth running of the whole organisation, and thus their days are endlessly busy.
Boltwardens do not get time off from their role; their moments of peace and quiet are scheduled and budgeted for, but may be stolen away if a crisis arises. They usually have a few designated assistants for specific areas if they cannot be in multiple places at once, or to cover illness.
Key among their day-to-day struggles, though, is the endless fight against corruption. Boltwardens may, at any point, drop all else they're doing to pursue leads on extremely dangerous cases, particularly if they are within the organisation itself.

Part of the enjoyment some nobility get from interacting with the current Boltwarden, Kurs, is to expose something horrendous that another person in power has done; the change in demeanour is said to be sudden, dramatic, and highly entertaining to behold, especially when he learns enough information to bolt away and investigate.

Accoutrements & Equipment

The cool gear might actually be my favourite part. The rest is dull at best, obnoxious at worst.

— a hopefully-joking Boltwarden Kurs

Boltwardens require armour that does not appear overly as armour and that shifts and blends into social situations as needed. One day they may be attending a formal ball; the next, they may be chasing a suspicious lurker across rooftops. Danger, both in the form of physical violence and more subtle threats and poisons, is an everyday theme in their lives. To that end, the first thing a Boltwarden does upon receiving their title is to go into hiding until their gear is ready.

Custom-commissioned for each Zaiseva is a whole set of equipment. A magical, malleable set of armour is the core of it, crafted using finest mythral to give it lighter, quieter qualities with greater enchantability. Into this armour is worked the ability to go into disguise at the drop of a hat, shifting appearance with great ease.
Their weapons of choice - often light slashing weapons like shortswords, but occasionally bigger weapons like greatswords or ranged weapons like bows and guns - are also recreated and upgraded, and emblazoned with the Jurisaudra insignia.
The magical items they are given are not public knowledge, but it is certainly known that they ease diplomatic speech, alert the wearer to poisons, and provide additional deflective protections against unexpected attacks. Their consumable items, mostly potions and scrolls for their benefit, are suspected to also contain vials of poison - not only to use if necessary, but also to end their own life if captured by dangerous forces.

Equipment by Hanhula (via Midjourney)

Boltwarden Kurs by Hanhula (via Midjourney)

Type

Professional

Status

Active

Form of Address

sir; Boltwarden; Zaiseva

Alternative Naming

Warden

Equates to

Leader

Source of Authority

Hvalgoran nobility

Length of Term

Until retirement/death

Current Holders

• Rimantas Kurs

Related Locations

• Vredekur

Related Organizations

• Hvalgora
• the Jurisaudra

Kinda worried about how much we put on the Boltwarden. It's a lot on one guy.
I know he's handling it, but for how long with all the meetings and murders and such?
Maybe we should get him a psych... Wait, maybe he already has one?

— concerned Jurisaudra