Agent of the Bourse
The history of humanity is the story told by money.
Emperor GiovanniOverview
The Civil Service appoint one or more of their number to the position of Agent of the Bourse. This position is designed to ensure the smooth operation of the Imperial Bourse and has powers to support that.
The Agent of the Bourse is an NPC only position. Its role is to be the umpire for the Bourse sessions - not to play the game.
Duties
The Agent of the Bourse is charged with ensuring the smooth running of all operations of the Bourse. They oversee the Tally of the Votes and arrange the Auction of the Seats as well as the Public auction. Civil servants supporting the office of the Agent of the Bourse have important duties helping the Empire assess resources, and collecting tithes and taxes.
Powers
Auctioneer
An Agent of the Bourse has the authority to conduct the Auction of the Seats. Their role is a fine balance of keeping order, ensuring fair access to the auction for all present and hosting a time-honoured Imperial spectacle.
In times when civil service numbers in Anvil are low a citizen auxiliary has been deputised to serve as auctioneer. This has been caused in the past by the Senate requiring civil servants to observe fleet behaviour to prevent piracy and by attacks on civil servants. However the impartial nature of the Auctioneer is a vital part of the auction, so an Agent of the Bourse will always handle the duties where possible.
Residence
The Agent of the Bourse has broad powers that allow them to decide where and when the formal proceedings of the Bourse will take place. This includes choosing the time and location for any auctions being conducted as well as when voting opens and closes for the Tally of the Votes.
Where practical the Agent will receive votes in the Hub, utilise the Senate chamber for the auctions, and publicise the timings for both in the schedule updated before each summit. However if the Senate chamber is unavailable for any reason, they have the power to designate any available space be used to host an auction.
Powers of Censure
The Agent of the Bourse has the power to sanction anyone attending a Bourse auction. This power is used to censure rowdy or disruptive individuals, and extends equally to anyone who is present for the auction. Although these powers duplicate similar powers available to the Speaker for the Senate, in practice an auction is typically a much less formal affair, with citizens coming and going freely.
As with the Speaker for the Senate, the Agent can apply three sanctions, each of increasing magnitude. The Agent may use any power they judge appropriate - they do not need to start with silence and escalate.
Silence
The first sanction is silence. The Agent can silence a persistently rude or boorish citizen for the duration of a single lot; they will not be allowed to speak, but may still bid while silenced by gesturing to the auctioneer. Once the lot has been sold, they are free to speak once more.
Exclusion
Should this prove insufficient the second sanction is exclusion - the offending citizen is obliged to leave the chamber where the auction is being held until the current lot is sold. This denies them the right to bid on a lot so is a serious matter. Crucially, a citizen who has been excluded from bidding on a seat, cannot have another citizen bid on their behalf. They may re-enter the auction after the sale of the current lot is concluded.
Expulsion
The third and final sanction is expulsion - the citizen is expelled for the rest of the the auction. They lose their chance to bid on any lots and have no claim on any seats that are auctioned. This is an extreme sanction and historically is used only in response to grave misdemeanours such as threats of violence during the auction.
Appointment
The Civil Service selects the Agent of the Bourse. Although the title is usually referred to in the singular, the civil service usually grant the title to more than one citizen. It is common practice to have two or more civil servants serving in the role of "Agent of the Bourse" at the same time.
The Agent of the Bourse can be revoked by the General Assembly, and by the Assembly of the Nine.
At Anvil, the Agent of the Bourse is filled by Marta Kovar, with Rialta di Regario acting as the Auctioneer.
The Agent in Play
The Agent is an NPC whose role it is to keep Bourse actions fun and engaging for the participants and to run the Tally of the Votes smoothly.