Editing Illumian (section)

===Gauntlet===
While chain cabals spin a web of intrigue to preserve the status quo, gauntlet cabals use espionage as a means of control. They don’t have armies at their disposal, so they employ a combination of diplomacy, magic, and trickery to exert influence on the political and religious leaders near their enclave. Notable gauntlet cabals include Stormwind, Blackflame, Palerider, Warhorn, and Frostpeak.

'''Typical Directorates:''' Gauntlet cabals have the usual directorates focused on the cabal’s upkeep: resources, education, defense, and research. But because the outside world draws their attention, gauntlet cabals produce a number of agents who work beyond the walls of the enclave. Gauntlet cabals organize multiple directorates devoted to diplomatic efforts, espionage, and small-scale military actions, divided both by the kind of activity and the target. For example, one directorate might be responsible for diplomacy and espionage against Baron Vulreget, while another directorate spies on the baron’s army and a third handles the cabal’s relations with the rebels seeking the baron’s overthrow. Because gauntlet cabals seek as much power and control as they can manage, the directorates within a particular gauntlet cabal shift as the cabal wins victories and suffers defeats. A directorate assigned to overthrow a church’s hold on a particular province, for example, disbands or takes on new duties once it succeeds at destroying the church. As a result, the directorates within a gauntlet cabal may have vague names or names that don’t describe what they actually do. The Stormwind cabal, for example, has a special projects directorate that handles issues of internal loyalty, a third column directorate that handles magical threats, and an honor directorate that trains elite strike teams, which are then used by the other directorates.

'''Plots:''' Gauntlet cabals are ambitious and always active, constantly fomenting plots against political, religious, and magical powers. The local government near a gauntlet cabal is always riddled with spies in the pay of the illumians, and a successful gauntlet cabal has achieved direct or indirect control over the government’s actions as well. A gauntlet cabal likewise tries to control or drive off powerful individuals or monsters (such as the [[wizard]] in the mysterious tower or the [[Chromatic Dragon|blue dragon]] lairing nearby). The most effective gauntlet cabals act as puppet masters, using their pawns to control others. For example, a gauntlet cabal might use blackmail and magic to control the commander of a military garrison, then turn that garrison against the [[elf]] community in a nearby forest. Or the gauntlet cabal could have the garrison pledge its troops to a religious crusade sponsored by the local church of [[Heironeous]]—in exchange for the placement of a few illumians in the higher levels of the priesthood.

'''Enemies and Allies:''' Gauntlet cabals rarely lack enemies—any group that has fallen on the wrong side of a gauntlet cabal plot is a potential foe. On the other hand, if the cabal’s plans come to fruition, the foe is rarely left with enough power to exact revenge on the illumians. A careful gauntlet cabal can avoid reprisals from failed plots by covering its tracks and pinning the blame on nonillumians. But no plot is foolproof, and many gauntlet cabals have been destroyed by military sieges, magical attacks, religious crusades, and assassinations by secret societies. Just as a gauntlet cabal can have nearly anyone as an enemy, so too can it ally itself with nearly anyone. Gauntlet cabals care only about power and control, and if an alliance helps one toward those ends, the cabal’s Black Table is rarely squeamish about making a deal. Even an arrangement with the [[githyanki]] isn’t out of the question, although any cabal known to have dealings with them would be ostracized by other illumians. A gauntlet cabal has only one implacable enemy: another gauntlet cabal. When two gauntlet cabals try to control the same prize, the conflict quickly escalates into war; gauntlet cabals easily recognize the “fingerprints” of rival illumians. Gauntlet cabals sometimes war with chain cabals, who see the gauntlet cabals’ efforts as meddling. But because gauntlet cabals and chain cabals seek different prizes, the possibility exists for a mutually advantageous pact (turning a chain cabal into a network of spies for a gauntlet cabal, which then focuses its attention elsewhere).

'''Enclaves:''' Gauntlet cabals know that it’s just a matter of time before they anger someone with the wherewithal to attack the cabal’s enclave. Therefore, gauntlet cabals spare no effort to ensure that any attack on the enclave is costly for the attackers. But unlike eclipse cabals, gauntlet cabals place less effort on keeping the location of their enclave secret, instead choosing to make the enclave obviously more trouble than it’s worth to attack. A gauntlet cabal might establish an enclave in the middle of a swamp, amid a steep mountain range, or buried deep beneath the earth. Each enclave features strong battlements clearly augmented by magic, as well as monstrous defenders such as [[dragon]]s and [[giant]]s. Inside an enclave, the focus shifts from a demonstration of strength to a demonstration of power and wealth. Lavish interior decoration adorns areas seen by nonillumians, the better to court visitors to the enclave as potential allies. Colorful illusion magic, magically animated statues, and richly dressed servants project the impression that the cabal is successful and so an alliance might be lucrative.