Tiree's lightning wheel

While Kezlaf was leader of the Unity, the Old Eddy's Water Seekers disappeared one at a time--usually under suspicious circumstances--and their lightning wheels vanished with them. In the years since his defeat, two particularly rare pre-Unity lightning wheels have surfaced. The original prototype model appeared on Eihlari, and is now owned by the New Eddy's Dancinglight. The second turned up on Ralcondray, in Tiree's possession.

Mechanics & Inner Workings

Tiree's lightning wheel is of the rare "dry" type.  Instead of a water reservoir and paired channels, the charging mechanism consists of a row of small but powerful magnets, each suspended between a pair of wire coils.  When the lightning wheel is carried or worn, the oscillations of the magnets through the coils generate minute currents in the wires and add a tiny amount of charge to the energy storage banks.  Over time, these individually insignificant accumulations add up to a potentially powerful shock.

This type of lightning wheel has the advantage that it can be used by someone without the ability to manipulate water.  It can also be completely sealed, thus protecting its inner workings from damage.

History

Tiree came across the lightning wheel a day after leaving Vitgrud.  It didn't work at all at first, but she kept it anyway because it was heavy enough to serve as a counterweight.  By the end of the day, a few minor jolts convinced her there was more to it.  By trial and error she figured out how to operate it, and it became her most frequently used tool.

When Gorles discovered her hiding place several years later, he identified the "burning tool" as a lightning wheel, which presumably had belonged to Vitat, the first Dancinglight of Vitgrud.  Since none of Vitat's successors knew he had ever had one, Gorles concluded that he had carried the wheel but rarely used it.

Significance

Tiree credits the lightning wheel with keeping her alive the eight years she lived on her own.  On multiple occasions it saved her from becoming, as she put it "a grayback snack".

Item type

Tool

Current Location

Ralcondray

Current Holder

Tiree

Rarity

unique