Warden

A Warden is a person who has devoted many hours to Arcanum Noctus, particularly in service of a specific order. Wardens are an essential part of the heirarchy of Arcanum Noctus, forming the first layer of interaction between members and those of higher positions. A Warden's primary job is to seek out new talent, record and report phenomena, and organise Collectives.
Whenever a Collective is called to form, they are assigned a Warden based on location and specialist skills required. Each Warden being a member of Arcanum, they each possess skills similar to that of members and Collectives. However, these skills are most often used on solo missions allowing the Warden to continue their service to Arcanum as a field operative.

I feel like I'm a good position to talk about this title, I cannot think for the life of me why...

— Warden O. B. Davies

Wardens of the Gates

It was upon the first line of defense that the angelic figures fell. For the gates were only to hold a fragment of the power that once coursed through the veins of the ancient ones. Defenders on all sides of this war were to be slaughtered, but their hope came from the solitary figure standing at the Gate.
When I looked upon the silhouetted figure, my heart fluttered for just a moment. They felt not like an imposing presence but instead a calming voice in the crowd of tormented cries. They held no weapon in their hand, while also carrying a shield of blazing gold. They were the Warden, a defender of the Gate, but also a guide for those fighting to protect this realm from its unnatural invaders. Their form was singular, but upon inspection it was many. Multitudes of forms that felt like one thing. Hope.

An excerpt from the document that is said to have inspired the founders of Arcanum Noctus to develop the position of Warden among their organisation. The author of this document eludes me, but I shall report it when found.

History of Wardens

In the earliest days of Arcanum Noctus, the membership was so small that the usage of intermediaries were not necessary, particularly when it was just the founding members. It wasn't until 1796 CY that the first Wardens were promoted from the individuals of the Arcanum Noctus membership at the time.
The first wave of Wardens were assigned to a particular order, acting as mediaries between Collectives comprised of members under a specific order. Initially, their first goal was to assign missions to Collectives and record the actions and results of such missions. The first Wardens acted only as a managing leader for their order's Collectives.
The role of Wardens remained this way until 1892 CY, the start of the Second Great War. Upon the eves of war, it became clear that Wardens, and all of Arcanum Noctus, would need to act as a unified force to help with the supernatural threats that were attacking the realm. It was at this point that Wardens started to act as the form of middle leadership that they do now. As of 1908 CY, there are several sects of Wardens who act as the mediary between Collectives and other branches of Arcanum Noctus.

Promotion

The exact rules for promotion are not clear, even for those of us who have obtained the position of Warden. Some members have only been promoted after a few decades of intense service to the cause, while others seem to have moved quickly into the position as the result of astounding success in their skills.
There is also something to be said of the Access Level of a Warden, when we obtain the position it isn't a permanent title, instead acting as a tiered system in itself. I know of a former Warden who was demoted from their position simply because a better candidate was found to hold the position. Equally, I have seen Wardens shift to Architects and other more specialized titles based on their abilities.

Wardens Symbol by Armoria

Full Title
Warden of Arcanum Noctus in the nth Degree
'n' is replaced by the Warden's Access Level.
Access Level
Variable, Commonly 3 - 8.
Affiliations
Arcanum Noctus (all orders)

Access of Information

While I've mentioned reports and writings that have influenced the files I've been keeping, I haven't explained why I am missing files, nor have the authority to post some information. Each Warden has what's known as an Access Level, in fact, all members of Arcanum Noctus do. This determines how easily someone can access information, with many reports and files given an Access Level.
For an example, I have an Access Level of 7. While this doesn't reach beyond the scope of Wardens, I can access plenty of reports and files that allow me to compile the information that you can observe in this directory, if it works. However, there are at least 3 more levels of security that I cannot access without a commendation from people higher than me, which in most cases I don't have yet.