The Director

 "They're PEASANTS. Take care of it."  - The Director

Introduction
The Director is the leader of the Institution, overseeing both their legal and less-legal projects.

Appearance
The Director is a tall, thin woman most often seen wearing a long, pale green robe and a brown veil or habit, over which are a black headband and large brown headphones with an attached microphone. There is a small white shield symbol with a cross in the middle on her gown over her heart, which is possibly a pin or badge of some kind.

Under her veil/habit, she is bald, and her ears are distinctly long and pointed. She is the palest-skinned character in the story, to the point of near-sallowness, and often wears an angry expression. She has an incredibly long neck.

It's possible she carries a personal pistol, as she wasn't seen collecting it when she went to the armory to get the bigger jaderoot gun.

Personality
The Director is sharp and highly critical, while also being quite tactical. She is unafraid of using people as leverage to achieve her goals, particularly when it comes to torture and death threats. She believes manipulating people is the best way to maintain the status quo, and has a low opinion of most people, particularly the lower classes. She's also unafraid of going into combat herself.

She's possibly homophobic, or at least doesn't like that Ambrosius and Blackheart were dating when they both lived at the Institution together.

She appears to like tea, or whatever it was she was drinking from a teacup in Chapter 5.

Life
At some point, the Director "made an oath to protect this Kingdom. No matter the cost."

The Director has held her position - or at least a high position at the Institution - for some time. She knew that Ambrosius and Ballister were dating while they resided at the Institution, and told at least one of them that she disapproved of the relationship at the time. Before the infamous joust where Ballister lost his arm, she called Ambrosius to her office, and "told [him] that [he] had promise. That [he] was her choice for the Institution's champion. But she said [he'd] have to prove [himself] against [Ballister] in the joust, or that chance would go away." The Director then ordered that Ambrosius be given a weaponized lance, with the comment that she "expected [Ambrosius] to win."

After the explosion at the laboratory, she called Ambrosius in for an explanation and lecture. She was shocked and alarmed that Ballister had a shapeshifter at his side.

Rudy alerted her to Nimona's anchorwoman routine, which annoyed the Director. But the Director decided not to shut the broadcast off, because it would lend the report on the Institution collecting jaderoot credibility. She then ordered a squad to the news station to take the anchorwoman away when the show went to commercial, and seemingly lied to Ambrosius about the Institution collecting jaderoot.

After Ballister and Nimona's successful bank heist, the Director told Ambrosius she wanted Ballister killed. When Ambrosius insisted Ballister be kept alive, the Director pointed out that she disapproved of Ambrosius and Ballister's romantic relationship, and always had. When Ambrosius still refused to kill Ballister, the Director ordered Ambrosius to kill Nimona and capture Ballister instead, or else Ballister would die. She then gave Ambrosius new and improved armor. She then set up a royal tournament to draw Ballister and Nimona out of Ballister's stronghold.

When Nimona and Ballister started a riot at the tournament, the Director ordered more guards in to get the nobles out and control the crowds by any means necessary. When Ballister took over the radios, she took off her veil/habit for the first time on page, and ordered her underlings to switch the frequency, to no avail. After Ballister's announcement, she ordered Ambrosius to put the next stage of the Institution's plan into action.

While Ambrosius was being bandaged up from his wounds gained while Nimona changed into her dark dragon form, the Director video called Ambrosius with another lecture, where she explained that she was replacing him and that fighting Nimona was "no longer the plan."

After the Institution captured Ballister, she broadcast that he was to be executed. This made Nimona make a rescue attempt, whereon she was captured. The Director brought Ballister to the tank where Nimona was being kept, revealed that she wanted to make use of Nimona's abilities, possibly for weapons, and had Ballister beaten to make Nimona comply with the Institution's tests.

When Nimona managed to unleash her black dragon form using the sample of her blood that was outside her cell, the Director ordered the facility locked down. Later, when Nimona tracked the Director down, the Director went to an armory, refusing to run. She confronted Nimona, lost her large gun, and used a small pistol instead. Nimona ultimately killed her.

Skills
The Director is good at manipulating people to do what she wants. She's also a tactician, and would have succeeded in capturing and/or killing Nimona the first time if Nimona hadn't revealed a new power. She was later successful in Nimona's capture, without Ambrosius' aid, though partly this was because Ballister made himself vulnerable to capture by leaving his home. She's also capable of using large and small guns.

Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin
The Director was Ambrosius' boss, and she steered his career over the years. She often criticized his performance, and although she disapproved of Ambrosius' more than platonic relationship with Ballister, she exploited it in order to make Ambrosius comply.

Lord Ballister Blackheart
Ballister and the Director appear to dislike each other. The Director is the personification of the Institution, and everything that screwed with his life. The Director seems to see him as an obstacle in the way of the Institution's plans, and later as a tool to get Nimona to comply with the Institution's plans. The Director also disapproved of Ballister's more than platonic relationship with Ambrosius.

Nimona
The Director considered Nimona a terrorist, a weapon, and an abomination, rather than a person. Nimona hated her, and hunted her down after freeing part of herself from the Institution's cell.

Rudy
One of the Director's recurring underlings. The Director appears to depend on him to some extent, though it's unclear whether or not they like each other.

Quotations

 * To Ambrosius: "It doesn't matter how "little" it is. This gives him an advantage he didn't have before. He'll figure that out soon enough. We cannot allow this."
 * To Ambrosius: "I was waiting for something like this to happen."
 * To Ambrosius: "Due to your incompetence, Blackheart and his new ward are running CIRCLES around us."
 * To Ambrosius: "Get rid of the sidekick. By any means necessary."
 * To Ambrosius: "This is a matter of keeping your job. You think we can't replace you in an instant? if this situation escalates any further, we will be forced to take drastic measures. [And] your friend Blackheart will go down with her."
 * To Ambrosius: "Blackheart is past the point of being controlled. I want him out of the picture."
 * "Really, Goldenloin, do you fancy yourself sly? Your motivations are quite transparent. I know what the nature of your relationship was. I made it clear at the time that I disapproved. If your fixation on him as impeded your ability to do your job, then he truly has outlived his usefulness. We'll find you a new nemesis. Perhaps you will be more competent without Blackheart as a distraction."
 * To Ambrosius: "Whatever the case may be, it is no longer your concern. You're being replaced."
 * To Ballister: "Surely a tactical mind such as your own can appreciate the value of a deterrent."
 * "Guards, please remove Goldenloin from this room. I will deal with him later."
 * "I'm NOT running. I've had about enough of that wretched beast. Let's see how she likes the taste of jaderoot."

Trivia

 * When Nimona asked, "What are YOU, a goblin?", the Director had the odd response of: "That's none of your business." [pause], "Shut up." So it's possible that the Director is a goblin, or some other non-human species. While other characters have rather long and nearly pointed ears, the Director is the only character shown to actually have pointed ears, possibly indicating her species difference. It's also possible she was created by the Institution, given her line, "I know an abomination when I see one."