Charon ' s Claw ( sword ) Charon ' s Claw ( later known simply as Claw ) was a magical sword and gauntlet designed to battle wizard s . It was once wielded by the highly skilled assassin Artemis Entreri . It was assumed destroyed in 1463 DR . Description . Charon ' s Claw was a sword and gauntlet combination , the perfect weapon when battling a wizard . Sword . The sword was a sentient artifact with the powers of a " + 4 keen smoking longsword " ; strong of will and possessed of arrogance . The sword could also intrude on the bearer ' s thoughts , turning them in dark and violence - inclined directions . Anyone who touched the blade or handle of this sword unprotected would need to compete with it in a battle of wills . Failure meant it would burn the flesh and skin of the wielder ' s head away . This ability could be used by the bearer of the sword , but it would require prolonged contact with the victim . Without defeating the blade in a battle of wills , the only way a person could safely use the item was by covering their hand with the enchanted gauntlet which was its counterpart . This kept the hostile sentience at bay . Upon being willed by its wielder , the sword could leave trails of ash in the air , creating temporary opaque walls to give an edge in battle . It could also to produce a strange black glow to act as a light in the darkness — though only its wielder could see it . It also made its wielder invisible to infravision . The sword was also enchanted so that even a small nick or cut would eventually prove fatal , as the wound would fester and eventually poison the victim . It was later revealed that the sword could dominate its former wielder . Herzgo Alegni was able to utilize this ability to enslave Artemis Entreri . Claw did not reside in the thoughts of a person it dominated , but it physically prevented that person ' s actions and caused them great physical pain . Distance from the sword made the effect weaker . Additionally , the sword could bring the enslaved person back to life . Gauntlet . The gauntlet was worn on the right hand . It had two main purposes : to shield the wielder of Charon ' s Claw from the malicious and persistent intelligence within , and to aid in fighting wizards . By wearing the gauntlet , the owner could catch magic directed at him within the magical netting of the gauntlet and turn it back against the initiator or just dispel it . Additionally , the glove ' s laces pulsed to warn the wearer of magical scrying . The wearer could even detect whether the scrying was of an arcane , priestly , or psionic nature . History . Background . Charon ' s Claw was an old Netherese artifact . For decades the artifact was owned by the Soulez Clan at the Dallabad Oasis near Calimport . An illithid , Yharaskrik studied the artifact by living in the deep tunnels below Kohrin Soulez ' s throne room . Artemis Entreri . In 1366 DR , the assassin Artemis Entreri took the artifact from Kohrin Soulez after tricking Soulez into grabbing the blade without the proper gauntlet . Artemis won control over the sword after a contest of will power thus enabling him to wield the sword even without wearing the gauntlet . The next year , while working in Heliogabalus , Entreri and Jarlaxle were approached by a Shadovar who offered them an alliance in exchange for the artifact , revealing to them the Netherese nature of it . Entreri refused to give up the weapon and killed the shade with his vampiric dagger ; Charon ' s Claw resisted striking the shade . Later , during a fight against a lich , the gauntlet was destroyed , consumed by the life - binding forces of the lich and in turn destroying the undead . After the gauntlet ' s destruction , Jarlaxle asked their employers , the dragon sisters Ilnezhara and Tazmikella , to replace the gauntlet as compensation for the two fighters ' achievements , but they refused . Jarlaxle later presented Artemis with a new gauntlet , restored by the efforts of the psionicist Kimmuriel Oblodra , just after they left the Bloodstone Lands . Return to the Netherese . At some point after Jarlaxle and Artemis parted company , Jarlaxle betrayed Artemis to the Netherese , who were seeking Charon ' s Claw in Baldur ' s Gate . The sword fell into the hands of the Netherese lord Draygo Quick , who then gave it to Herzgo Alegni . Alegni tied Entreri ' s life force to the sword , forcing Entreri to serve him and making it so that Entreri could not die while in the service of Charon ' s Claw . Entreri , known by this point as Barrabus the Gray , joined forces with Drizzt Do ' Urden and Dahlia Sin ' felle to take the sword from Alegni and thus free Entreri . They were able to take the sword by force in Neverwinter , believing they had killed Alegni . In truth , Alegni had made it to the Shadowfell where he was healed and tasked with retrieving the Netherese artifact . Entreri ' s group headed for Gauntlgrym , where they believed they could destroy the sword and thus allow Entreri to die . Despite Alegni ' s forces , Drizzt was able to throw the sword over the rim of the pit where the fire primordial Maegera resided . The sword was presumed destroyed and its hold over Entreri broken . Entreri , unexpectedly , did not keel over on the spot but continued to live .