Order of the Gauntlet

The Order of the Gauntlet was formed in 1484 DR by a conclave of devoted knights and clergy from across Faerûn—primarily adherents of Torm, Tyr, and Helm—who feared the rising tide of darkness and the softening of mortal resolve. Among its founding members were:

• Onthar Frume, paladin of Torm, whose battlefield sermons could rally armies and shame kings.

• Ulder Ravengard, later Grand Duke of Baldur’s Gate, who lent structure and steel to the Order’s early deployments.

The Order’s doctrine is simple to recite, difficult to embody:

• Evil must be opposed.

• Justice must be served.

• Corruption must be purged.

• The innocent must be shielded, no matter the cost.

There are no half-measures in the Gauntlet. One either clenches their fist or opens it to surrender.

The Order eschews the trappings of nobility and aristocracy common in other factions. Ranks are awarded through deeds, not bloodlines. The primary titles are:

• Initiate – Those undergoing trials of faith and courage.

• Knight – Full members who act as field operatives and enforcers.

• Justicar – Senior operatives who serve as mentors, judges, and regional coordinators.

• Righteous Hand – A title reserved for the rare few whose deeds reshape the Order itself.

Currently, the highest-ranking member is Ontharr Frume, Righteous Hand of the Gauntlet and the de facto leader of its Velkarn chapter.

Though not centralized in the traditional sense, the Order’s coordination has increased in the Contemporary Era through improved alliances, enchanted missives, and shared prayer-vision rituals.

“A sword can protect or destroy. What matters is who wields it—and for whom.”

—Ontharr Frume

• Ontharr Frume – A stout-hearted paladin of Torm, Frume was one of the earliest liaisons between the Gauntlet and the Harpers during the Tyranny of Dragons. His conviction and humor belied an iron resolve.

• Malia of the Brass Mask – One of Bahamut’s Metallic Wyrmspeakers and a mortal paragon of veneration and creativity. Malia’s sacrifice during the Fall of Tiamat earned her sainthood within several Gauntlet-led temples across Velkarn.

• Varys Stonehelm – A dwarven warpriest known for holding the Broken Bridge of Emberdeep for seven days alone against orcish invaders. A folk legend among rural chapters.

• Seffia Naelryke-Cassalanter – A tiefling devoted to the god of nobility Siamorphe. Notably aided the Hype Squad during the Grand Game in Waterdeep in 1495.

The Gauntlet’s stance is clear: evil must be eradicated. But who defines evil? Here lies the Order’s eternal burden.

• The Harpers are viewed as necessary but dangerously lenient. Many in the Gauntlet distrust their subterfuge but acknowledge their strategic value.

• The Zhentarim are a thornier subject. While their aims have at times aligned, the Order remains deeply skeptical of their methods—and particularly their current Waterdeep Dread Lord, Enna Baenre.

• The Lords' Alliance is a practical ally. The Gauntlet often serves as its moral compass—or as its sword when diplomacy fails.

The Order’s mortal enemies include:

• The Cult of the Dragon, whose defeat defined the Order’s early legacy.

• The Black Network's splinter cells, particularly those who still answer to ancient Manshoonite traditions.

• Fiendish cults, especially those of Asmodeus, Graz’zt, and Bane.

Waterdeep houses the largest known Gauntlet chapterhouse—Sanctum Vigilant, a white-stoned keep within the Castle Ward reinforced after the Battle of Waterdeep. There, Ontharr Frume maintains a triadic alliance with Leosin Erlanthar the Harpers and Enna Baenre of the Zhentarim, the terms of which are detailed in the so-called Concord of Three Blades—a rare, if fragile, moment of unity between opposing ideologies.

“The Concord is not peace. It is a truce between truths too dangerous to leave unspoken.”
—Leosin Erlanthar, Spirit Wyrmspeaker

The Gauntlet also operates outposts in Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter, Cormyr, and along the Sword Coast’s most contested regions. Patrols are frequent, and while rarely large, they strike with devastating efficiency.

A mutual aid compact signed in 1492 DR, following the Battle of Waterdeep. Duly copied from Harper records by The Librarian. 

Signatories:

• Leosin Erlanthar, High Harper of Waterdeep

• Enna Baenre, Dread Lord of the Zhentarim

• Ontharr Frume, Righteous Hand of the Gauntlet

“Let it be known that in the shadow of ruin, three blades were drawn not against one another, but in unison. That the cause of order, liberty, and stability may yet triumph—not through perfect alignment, but through necessary accord.”

Clauses:

• The Harpers shall monitor planar disruptions and inform the others.

• The Zhentarim shall enforce trade security in agreed-upon corridors.

• The Order shall offer protection to both agents, without judgment of affiliation.

• Any breach of the city’s peace by any faction invalidates the pact.

The Order is not without flaw. Critics argue that:

• Its members are too quick to judge and too slow to question.

• Its creed leaves little room for redemption or gray morality.

• Its zealous members, when left unchecked, may do as much harm as good.

Indeed, there are stories—often whispered—of Gauntlet knights turned inquisitor, of cities razed “for their own protection,” of paladins whose divine grace was revoked not for failure, but for unrelenting pride.

Yet the Order endures. Because in a world where evil wears a thousand masks, someone must bear the burden of absolute resolve.

Symbol: A right-hand gauntlet, clenched in readiness, sometimes depicted with rays of divine light emanating from the knuckles.

Rituals: Initiation into the Order involves the Trial of Flame, where a candidate must endure magical fire while holding sacred tenets. If the fire burns, they are not yet ready. If it passes over them—they are chosen.

Creed: “With faith we strike. With justice we stand. With duty we die.”

The Order of the Gauntlet is not perfect—but it does not claim to be. It is a crucible, burning away fear, doubt, and frailty until only purpose remains. Whether that purpose saves the world or breaks it… well, that depends on the hands beneath the gauntlet.

—Archived by the Librarian in the Year of the Gauntlet’s Oath, 1494 DR. Verified by divine chronomancy and the ash of righteous flame.