Mandatory torment of ancient and fantasy slaves. It's a giant capstan to which slaves are chained and made to drive in order to power some unseen machinery. In Fictionland, it seems, every slave-holding culture has this device. The most notable exception are the slaves held on plantations in the antebellum South of the United States. Can occasionally happen in a futuristic setting. These wheels often don't even do anything; presumably they're only used because the bad guys are just dicks. Has nothing to do with Painwheel. Examples of Wheel of Pain include: