Assassin Gauntlet

The Assassin Gauntlet was a modification to the standard Hidden Blade that was adopted during the 19th century. Built around a bracer that covered the entire forearm, it consisted of two main parts: the Hidden Blade and a rope launcher attachment.^[1]

By the Victorian era, later models replaced the rope launcher with an Assassin insignia-shaped grappling hook, allowing the wielder the means to a quick escape or to facilitate urban travel by creating on-the-fly ziplines under the palm. These models also featured armor plating that partially or completely covered the glove, as well as embedded brass knuckles and a dart gun on the back of the forearm that could launch poison darts at unsuspecting targets.^[1]

History[]

The first known use of the gauntlet was in 1852 by an unnamed American Assassin. During the California Gold Rush, she was made aware of the actions of John Sutter, a Swiss pioneer forcing the local Maidu people to mine gold for him. Ambushing his carriage in the Great Basin Desert, the Assassin fired a tether from her gauntlet, using it to mount the vehicle before ordering Sutter at gunpoint to return the gold he had stolen from the Maidu.^[2]

In 1863, during the New York City draft riots, the Assassin Varius noted that newer gauntlet designs, involving rope launchers and darts, were being used in England.^[3]

ACS Freedom of the Press 13 — Alexander Graham Bell installing the rope launcher on Jacob Frye's gauntlet

In 1868, the twin British Assassins Evie and Jacob Frye came into possession of a grappling hook pistol after eliminating Rexford Kaylock, a British Templar and one of the leaders of the Blighters crime syndicate.^[4] As the pistol had been damaged during the fight with Kaylock, the twins, at the suggestion of fellow Assassin Henry Green, visited the inventor Alexander Graham Bell, who repaired and modified the rope launcher to fit into the Fryes' gauntlets.^[5]

Later, Bell further upgraded the Assassin gauntlets, adding a Dart Gun to the bracer, which allowed Evie and Jacob to fire hallucinogenic darts at their targets.^[6] The gauntlet's design remained relatively unchanged for the next fifty years, and it was still in use by the time of World War I, when Jacob's granddaughter Lydia Frye operated in London.^[7]

Statistics[]

Name	Level	Attack	Upgrade	Availability
Leather Gauntlet	1	1	£500 +1 A	Starting Gauntlet
Hardened Leather Gauntlet	2	2	£500 +1 A	Complete Whitechapel Gang War
Reinforced Gauntlet	3	3	£1,000 +1 A	Complete On the Origin of Syrup Craft: £2,500 and 100 Metal
Black Leather Gauntlet	4	4	£2,000 +1 A	Complete Survival of the Fittest Craft: £3,500 and 100 Leather
Mirage Gauntlet	5	5	£2,500 +1 A	Complete One Good Deed Craft: £4,500, 100 Metal, Fire Opal
Iron Death Gauntlet	6	6	£3,500 +2 A	Complete Driving Mrs. Disraeli Craft: £5,500, 120 Leather, and 50 Silk
Assassin Gauntlet	7	7	£4,500 +2 A	Complete Triple Theft Craft: £2,000, 120 Iron, 50 Silk, Black Diamond
The Devil's Handshake	8	8	£5,000 +2 A	Complete Double Trouble Craft: £8,500, 140 Leather, and 60 Silk
The Chimera	9	9	£6,000 +2 A	Schematic in locked chest in City of London Craft: £9,000, 140 Leather, and 60 Silk
Legendary Assassin Gauntlet	10	10	£10,000 +2 A	Reach Loyalty Level 5 with Clara O'Dea Craft: £10,000, 150 Leather, 100 Chemical, and Bluestone
Redback Gauntlet	3	4	£2,000 +1 A	Purchase the Streets of London Pack
Industrial Gauntlet	3	4	£2,000 +1 A	Purchase the Streets of London Pack
Royal Gauntlet	3	4	£2,000 +1 A	Purchase the Streets of London Pack
Nautilus Gauntlet	7	9	£7,000 +3 A	Purchase the Victorian Legends Pack
Chronographic Piercer	7	9	£7,000 +3 A	Purchase the Steampunk Pack
The Devil's Handshake*	1	7	N/A	Starting Gauntlet
A Velvet Glove*	9	9	£1,200 +1 A	Purchase for £12,000
Lady Owers' Gauntlet*	8	8	£900 +1 A	Complete The Lady Talks
Kiss the Hand*	9	8	£1,200 +1 A	Reach Loyalty Level 3 with Nellie
The Ripper's Terror*	9	10	£1,050 +1 A	Complete Live by the Creed, Die by the Creed
The Yard Glove*	10	10	£2,000 +1 A	Reach Loyalty Level 2 with Frederick Abberline
Seam Buster*	10	11	£2,000 +1 A	Schematic in locked chest in City of London Craft: 500 Metal, 200 Leather, 50 Silk, and 70 Chemical

*Only available after downloading Jack the Ripper.

Behind the scenes[]

The Dart Gun of the Assassin Gauntlet is similar to both the Hidden Gun and the Phantom Blade, as it acts as a firearm and is silent.

Varius' description of the gauntlets used in England appears to refer to the gauntlets worn by the Frye twins, despite the fact that, at the time, theirs had not yet been modified to include a rope launcher and dart gun.