Assassin Gauntlet

The Assassin Gauntlet

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

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, which was used to 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 draft riots, the Assassin Varius noted that newer gauntlet designs, involving rope launchers and darts, were being used in England.^[3] In 1868, the twin British Assassins Evie and Jacob Frye made it their mission to take back London from the British Templars, who had ruled with an iron fist for the past century. The Rooks were created from the gang known as the Clinkers to counter the Templar-affiliated Blighters, and following a gang war with the gang leader Rexford Kaylock and his demise, the Fryes took possession of his broken grappling hook pistol.^[1]

Believing the pistol could still prove useful, Henry Green introduced them to the inventor Alexander Graham Bell, who then modified the launcher to fit into the Fryes' gauntlets. Bell later added a Dart Gun to the bracer, allowing the twins to fire hallucinogenic darts at their targets. The design remained relatively unchanged for the next fifty years, being used by Lydia Frye during her efforts in World War I to protect London from the Templars and German spies.^[4]

Statistics

Name	Level	Attack	Description	Availability	Upgrade
Leather	1	1	A basic leather gauntlet, perfect for a new Assassin.	Starting Gauntlet	£500 +1 Attack
Hardened Leather	2	2	Tougher than plain leather, but with maintained flexibility for ease of combat.	Plan found in Sequence 3	£500 +1 Attack
Reinforced	3	3	If you're about substance over style, then you might be interested in this workhorse of a gauntlet.	Plan found in On the Origin of Syrup Craft: £2,500 and 100 Metal	£1,000 +1 Attack
Black Leather	4	4	A black leather gauntlet, ideal for blending into a crowd after dusk.	Plan found in Survival of the Fittest	£2,000 +1 Attack
Mirage	5	5	A solid, good-looking gauntlet. Can't go wrong with leather accents.	Plan Found in One Good Deed Craft: £4,500 and 100 Metal	£2,500 +1 Attack
Iron Death	6	6	The Iron Death gauntlet is a cold, unfeeling grey, but on the plus side, it goes with everything. Including death.	Plan found in Driving Mrs. Disraeli Craft: £5,500, 120 Leather, and 50 Silk	£3,500 +2 Attack
Assassin	7	7	Subtle, tailored, deadly.	Plan found in Triple Theft Craft: £200, 120 Iron, and 50 Silk	£4,500 +2 Attack
The Devil's Handshake	8	8	They say you shouldn't shake hands with the Devil, but that's really more of a suggestion than a rule.	Plan found in Double Trouble Craft: £8,500, 140 Leather, and 60 Silk	£5,000 +2 Attack
The Chimera	9	9	A fearsome weapon and a terrifying tool, a mythic beast of tremendous power. Incidentally, have you ever looked up genetic chimeras? It's not related to this gauntlet, but it's fascinating stuff.	Plan found in Bank Vault chest Craft: £9,000, 140 Metal, and 60 Silk	£6,000 +2 Attack
Legendary Assassin	10	10	Wearing this gauntlet is evidence of great experience and incredible skill.	Reach Loyalty Level 5 with Clara O'Dea	£10,000 +2 Attack
Redback Gauntlet	3	4	Have a taste for the refined? This gauntlet will suit you perfectly.	Purchase the Streets of London Pack	£2,000 +1 Attack
Industrial Gauntlet	3	4	A no-nonsense mechanical monster, this gauntlet has killed only slightly fewer people than poor work conditions and coal dust.	Purchase the Streets of London Pack	£2,000 + Attack
Royal Gauntlet	3	4	A Buckingham-inspired gauntlet for the fashionable Assassin.	Purchase the Streets of London Pack	£2,000 +1 Attack
Nautilus Gauntlet	7	9	"The Nautilus was a masterpiece containing masterpieces...the engineer was struck with astonishment." - Jules Verne, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea	Purchase the Victorian Legends Pack	£7,000 + Attack
Chronographic Piercer	7	9	The pressure gauge is decorative, for my inventions never malfunction! The timepiece however is expertly synchronised with the Shepherd Gate Clock of Greenwich!	Purchase the Steampunk Pack	£7,000 + Attack
The Devil's Handshake*	1	7	They say you shouldn't shake hands with the Devil, but that's really more of a suggestion than a rule.	Starting Gauntlet	N/A
A Velvet Glove*	9	9	An iron fist with a velvet touch fit for a knight out.	Buy for £12,000	£1,200 +1 Attack
Lady Owers Gauntlet*	8	8	The 'Lady' is a tramp... Greetings from Owers Manor.	Complete The Lady Talks	£900 +1 Attack
Kiss the Hand*	9	8	Old-world elegance and an Assassin's fatal charm.	Reach Loyalty Level 3 with Nellie	£1,200 +1 Attack
The Ripper's Terror*	9	10	Inspired by the Ripper's terrifying modus operandi.	Complete Live by the Creed, Die by the Creed	£1,050 +1 Attack
The Yard Glove*	10	10	...As in Scotland Yard, not yardwork. Ideal for the pruning of criminals.	Reach Loyalty Level 2 with Frederick Abberline	£2,000 +1 Attack
Seam Buster*	10	11	This hand-crafted Assassins gauntlet is bursting at the seams with power.	Plan found in City of London chest Craft: 500 Metal, 200 Leather, 50 Silk and 70 Chemical	£ +1 Attack

*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.