White Lotus prisons

"neutral"

- There's certainly no way anyone's breaking out of here.

The White Lotus prisons are four maximum security facilities scattered throughout the Avatar World, constructed specifically to detain four criminals: Ghazan, Ming-Hua, P'Li, and Zaheer. In order to ensure that the locations were inescapable, they were established in isolated regions and guarded regularly by White Lotus sentries. Each facility is elaborately designed to render any escape attempt from the individual it contained ineffective.

History


After Ghazan, Ming-Hua, P'Li, and Zaheer were apprehended by the Order of the White Lotus sometime around 158 AG, special prisons were constructed in largely uninhabited areas to detain each of the criminals separately. One of these prisons was commissioned by Lord Zuko and Chief Unalaq and built deep within the tundras bordering the Northern Water Tribe with the sole purpose of containing P'Li. In the thirteen years that followed, the existence of the facilities remained unknown to the majority of the population and the detained individuals were kept isolated from the rest of the world.

Two weeks following Harmonic Convergence in 171 AG, Zaheer used his newfound airbending abilities to immobilize his guards and escape his confinement before promptly fleeing the mountaintop prison in which he was held. After ambushing a scheduled shift change headed toward Ghazan's prison, Zaheer used a speedboat and donned a White Lotus uniform to approach the facility undetected before attacking the guards. During the skirmish that followed, Zaheer was able to drop three pieces of earth into Ghazan's cell, allowing him to superheat the material into lava for use in his escape. Following the defeat of the remaining sentries, the two escaped criminals traveled to Ming-Hua's prison and ambushed the guards on duty. During the altercation, Ghazan threw a barrel of water toward Ming Hua which Zaheer promptly split in half, providing her with enough water to construct two appendages which she used to open her cell and incapacitate her guards. The three reunited and ultimately resolved to travel to the Northern Water Tribe in order to free P'Li.

Shortly after, Lord Zuko arrived to Ming-Hua's prison and was informed by a sentry about her escape as well as Zaheer's recent acquirement of airbending. Visibly alarmed by this development, Zuko ordered the sentry to inform Chiefs Desna and Eska about an impending attack on their prison as well as instruct Chief Lin Beifong about safeguarding Avatar Korra in Republic City.



The firebender proceeded to mount his dragon to travel to the Northern Water Tribe, where he and Chief Tonraq approached the tribe's new chiefs for their help keeping P'Li contained. As they traveled to the prison, Zuko informed Desna and Eska about their father's involvement in constructing the facility to detain a special firebender capable of combustion, casually remarking about the time he hired an assassin with similar abilities to kill Avatar Aang. Eska comforted him and recalled the time she attempted to murder Korra for ruining her wedding with Bolin. P'Li greeted the group once they arrived at her cell, asserting that she had not seen any visitors since the beginning of her imprisonment and immediately concluded that the group's arrival was an indication that Zaheer had escaped.

Ghazan's prison


Ghazan's prison is an offshore facility in the middle of the ocean constructed entirely out of wood to serve as a countermeasure for Ghazan's bending, as the absence of any traces of earth from his immediate vicinity prevents the use of earthbending. The prison is built high above sea level with four large watchtowers located at each end for the sentries to monitor incoming vessels. At the center of the structure is a large wooden cell bearing the White Lotus insignia in which Ghazan is contained, built with a lattice pattern covering the exterior and a small rectangular slit at the bottom for the distribution of food rations. There are no restraints inside the enclosure and there is relatively enough space to move around comfortably, although the top of the cell itself is sealed.

Ming-Hua's prison


Ming-Hua's prison is a large fortress built directly on top of a volcano located in a barren region enclosed by mountain-like rock formations. The prison has several levels consisting entirely of metal platforms that run from the top of the volcano downward, providing a clear view of the metal cell suspended near the bottom of the volcano. The enclosure is entirely constructed of metal lattice with four golden dragons adorning the corners. The metal cables attached to the cage connect to beams on the topmost platform which also bear golden dragon heads at the tip and converge to a bell tower used primarily to inform sentries of security breaches. The cell's suspension from the ground and its proximity to an active volcano serves as a countermeasure for Ming-Hua's bending, as the absence of moisture and nearby sources of water prevents the use of waterbending.

P'Li's prison


P'Li's prison is an underground containment facility commissioned by Lord Zuko and Chief Unalaq. It is located deep in the western tundras of the North Pole to serve as a countermeasure for P'Li's bending, as the intense cold prevents the use of firebending. Two watchtowers situated directly outside the facility monitor approaching civilians and large metal doors bearing the White Lotus insignia prevent immediate access to the interior. Inside the building is a mechanical elevator which transports visitors deep underground to a platform overlooking the cell, which is reached via a metal ramp that automatically extends from underneath the platform. Although she is retrained by chains, P'Li can move around freely and the lattice work on her cell door allows her to see outside.

Zaheer's prison


Zaheer's prison is a pagoda-like mountaintop enclosure located in the middle of a remote mountain range. The structure is constructed entirely out of metal and requires the use of metalbending in order to access and open. An adjacent mountain formation with a large metal watchtower serves as the initial access point to the prison, with a mechanical bridge that extends toward the peak in which the cell is situated. Unlike the other three prisoners, Zaheer's enclosure is entirely covered and has very few openings. Prior to receiving his food rations, a series of metal panels outside Zaheer's cell must be bent to open by one of the sentries, revealing relatively simple bars with a rectangular opening near the bottom for food. Zaheer's prison has no guards stationed directly outside, as they are all stationed in the watchtower located on the adjacent mountain.

Trivia

 * Although these prisons were constructed during the middle of a technological revolution, they exhibit many similarities to prisons used during the Hundred Year War.
 * Ghazan's prison resembles the prison rig used by the Fire Nation military to detain earthbenders who opposed colonial rule, as it was also located offshore to restrict access to earth. It is also similar to wooden cells used in the Fire Nation to hold both waterbenders and earthbenders, such as the jail in Fire Fountain City in which Toph Beifong and Katara were imprisoned.
 * Ming-Hua's prison resembles Hama's prison, which was also specifically designed to detain waterbenders. Like the volcanic prison, the facility made use of cells suspended from the ground as well as dry air to prevent access to moisture.
 * P'Li's prison resembles the coolers used in the Boiling Rock to discipline firebending prisoners, as it was also an isolation chamber that prevented the use of firebending through freezing temperatures.