Wringers

In the first few years after Kezlaf succeeded Walemin as the Uniter, the Dissolvers grew more brazen in their acts of sabotage, attacking not only the conduits but also the Unity's headquarters on Mraydor. In response to this increasing threat, Kezlaf established the Wringers to both safeguard his person and enforce his absolute control over the islands.
All members of the unit were strongly water-sensitive, and many had been Water Seekers from the Old Eddy. They were taught skills that Kezlaf often said anyone with a certain hydrotropic ability could have, but that the Eddy Seekers lacked the foresight to develop. The Wringers were said to be able to read unspoken thoughts, and so could identify saboteurs before plans became actions. They were most feared for the power to "wring out" a person's mind--to destroy the capability to form independent thought. Once wrung, a person could still follow simple orders, making them useful for basic labor. Kezlaf presented the practice as a less wasteful alternative to execution.
Wherever Kezlaf traveled, a minimum of five Wringers went with him. He also frequently sent Wringer teams into areas suspected of supporting dissolution. Even the threat of being wrung was effective, resulting in an immediate and long-lasting reduction in terrorist acts by Dissolvers.

Composition

Manpower

The exact number of Wringers was never known.  The frequency of deployment orders suggested a full force between 50 and 100 members.

Weaponry

Wringers used lightning wheels modified with a more powerful storage system, capable of delivering extremely painful and sometimes lethal amounts of current.

Structure

Kezalf commanded the Wringers himself.  Within the unit, the chief officer was known as Wringer One, and the sub-officer Wringer Two.  For most of the Wringers' existence their exact identities were kept secret, since they were spies as well as bodyguards, but at the end of the Unity those ranks were known to be held by Kezalf's oldest children, Istlourn and Ardez.

Logistics

Recruitment

During Kezlaf's frequent travels among the islands, he kept a lookout for individuals with the kind of watersense suitable to the Wringers' work.  No candidate ever refused his invitation.

History

Historical loyalties

Although the Wringers were known for nearly twenty years for their absolute loyalty to Kezlaf, in the end he himself made mistakes about who he could trust in the unit. By 2039 Vol cracks began appearing in the Wringers' organization, leading to Kezlaf's downfall and the dissolution of the Unity from within.

Type

Security

Founding

2022 Vol

Dissolution

2040 Vol

Overall training Level

Elite

Used by

• The Unity