Cat o’ Nine Tails
The cat o’ nine tails is a colloquial description of a flail, a multi-pronged whip used for flogging. The cat o’ nine tails depicted in the painting Kier Taming the Four Tempers is of the traditional sort, with long braided tentacles of leather, possibly with a sharp piece of metal tied at the end to inflict more pain. The cat o’ nine tails that awaits the honored Refiner of the Quarter is (hopefully) more ceremonial in nature. At the end of each whip strand is a piece of material bearing the name of a Lumon Core Principle: Vision, Verve, Wit, Cheer, Humility, Benevolence, Nimbleness, Probity, and Wiles. These would presumably tame the The Four Tempers, who are present as dancers clad in lingerie and masks.