Knights of the Silver Hand

The Silver Hand is order of non-aligned warriors who seek to rid the world of evils and protect the weak. They are a dedicated, tightly knit group of like-minded individuals driven by religious zeal or a finely honed sense of justice. Friendship and camaraderie are important to members of the Silver Hand, and they share a trust and a bond normally reserved for siblings. Like highly motivated soldiers, members of the Silver Hand seek to become the best at what they do and look forward to testing their mettle.
The Silver Hand expects its agents to “Protect, contain, and destroy” agents, items, and locations of evil. Dangerous artifacts that cannot be destroyed are collected in secret, and instead transported to be kept deep within the Argent Vaults or other secure sites, rather than left where they might be released or cause harm. Where slumbering evils lie chained, agents are expected to ensure every link remains strong. And where those goals are impossible, those agents must be ready to neutralize the threat; be that an agent of evil, or an accidental release. The Silver Hand encourages its agents to be educated enough in the fields of Arcana, Undeath, Daemonology, Aberrants, etc. in order to identify and understand hazards, and the Grand Master believes that individual Knights must be able of exercising their own discretion in assessing the danger and knowing when to intervene.

Diminished, but not gone

The fortunes influence of the Silver Hand have waxed and waned over the centuries. At the height of their between, the Second and Fourth Blights; the order counted thousands of members amongst its ranks. It maintained Fortresses and Bastions to host arcane prisons and vaults across Esseas. Since then, their fortunes have diminished and many of their fortresses, and secret vaults have been left to the ages and forgotten. While reduced in size, they still main chapter halls across much of the world, but particularly in the Principality of Danothmire, The Ondari Dominion, The Charnault Kingdom, and the Kingdom of Tiriande. It is believed that the few remaining halls of the order still maintain ancient maps of their locations and they check on those locations to ensure they remain sealed. True members of the order can be identified by their literal silver hand, which has turned a shining silver through a secret magical ritual.
The majority who join the Gauntlet are paladins, clerics or fighters dedicated to Gods such as Azyr, Iroas, Avandra, or Ishran. But any, including non-denominational members are welcome. They join the organization seeing it as a way of making common cause against the evils abroad in the world. When evil threatens the innocent, breaks laws, sows destruction, or causes chaos, the Silver Hand strikes hard and fast, without waiting for the blessings of distant temples or the permission of rulers. Evil must be met in the field and smashed, or it will swiftly overcome all.

Beliefs

1. Faith is the greatest weapon against evil—faith in one’s god, one’s friends, and one’s self.
2. Battling evil is an extraordinary task that requires extraordinary strength and bravery.
3. Punishing an evil act is just. Punishing an evil thought is not.

Goals

To be armed, vigilant, and ready to smite evil, enforce justice, and enact retribution. This means identifying evil threats such as secretive power groups and inherently evil creatures, watching over them, and being ready to attack at a moments notice.