Arc Pylon

Arc pylons are a lethal defense technology utilized by various authorities around the Empire of the Isles. They work similarly to walls of light, but are effective at a distance, disintegrating any living thing within range that they have not been configured to recognize. Any protagonist can reconfigure arc pylons using a rewire tool, causing the security system to ignore them and turn against their enemies. Arc pylons are powered by whale oil, meaning they can be disabled if the whale oil tank is removed.

History
Officially known as the "Sokolov Radial Interdiction Device", arc pylons were invented by Anton Sokolov in 1833 for the City Watch. In cooperation with Sokolov, Piero Joplin perfected his own version of the device, which can be used at a much greater range and without line of sight to kill or incapacitate enemies, though at the expense of using a lot more whale oil. In 1852, arc pylons in Karnaca were a newer model created by Jindosh Clockworks, though they function the same as those encountered in Dishonored. They were also much less common, with Kirin Jindosh believing that the electric discharge ability of his Clockwork Soldiers is more effective.

Trivia

 * It is possible to completely avoid the bolt of energy released by the arc pylon if the power module can be reached quickly enough and the whale oil tank removed, as it takes a moment for the weapon to discharge its energy.
 * If a recognized person is between the arc pylon and its target, the arc pylon will fire anyway, killing the recognized person instead of its intended target. It will promptly recharge and fire again afterwards.
 * Despite Jindosh's claims, arc pylons are more powerful than the electric discharge of Clockwork Soldiers, instantly vaporizing targets instead of merely inflicting considerable damage.
 * Jindosh says he keeps the arc pylon in the Clockwork Mansion for nostalgia.
 * Arc pylons have a limited number of charges, consuming whale oil each time. When they run out, they will power down. They can, however, be reactivated if supplied with a new tank.
 * The arc pylon resembles the Soviet Tesla Coils from the Red Alert RTS series in both form and function.