The Summoner's Oath

CupcakeTrap·Dec 2, 2014·2 votes·1,502 views

http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100816174918/leagueoflegends/images/b/b2/Summoners.png

In the final scene of the epilogue to Hextech Revolution, I had Summoner Paddo bitterly quote a few lines from "the Summoner's oath". (He had just realized that the formation of the League had come much too late to save a distant continent, Nyroth, from a horrific cataclysm triggered by the Rune Wars.) Today, I decided to try to take those fragments and assemble them into a complete oath.

Having known the scourge of the Rune Wars in our own lifetimes, and being resolved that future generations should be more fortunate, we commit ourselves to this great task, upon which our shared future depends: …to turn the magic that nearly destroyed our world to her protection, …to seek peace and knowledge by which all nations may together prosper, …to ensure that the calamity that has been foreseen shall not come to pass. We hereby bind ourselves with this oath, …under geas and bond-word, …taken after solemn contemplation of its grave meaning: to assist the League's Champions upon the Fields of Justice, …invoking only those magics authorized by the Council, …giving our considered guidance as Champions may request it; to serve our several nations through the League of Legends, …in peace and in war, …in victory and in defeat; to obey the lawful judgments of the Council, …above even the laws of our particular sovereigns, …faithful even unto death; and so stand now, Summoners of the League of Legends.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

It seems like Champions might also have an oath, though probably a less hardcore one: I get the impression that Champions typically have a much looser relationship to the League, and are much closer to "private citizens" than Summoners are.

2 Comments

Simon LancasterDec 4, 20142 votes

Really nice! I like the way that the oath binds the Summoner, to be not just a powerful sorceror, but to be almost an entity outside themselves. When you take the world's magic and make it yours, then give it back to the world, that's what being a Summoner is about, not settling disputes with puppets. I wonder what would happen to the oathbreakers (because in the lore I've read, there's been a couple)? I think that it could have a different flow and feel to it, but the words themselves are pretty much perfect. Perhaps, if you're thinking of a Champion oath, it would have a suffix related to the person, like Kayle, where she swears her service for 1000 years. TL;DR - Beautiful message, the flow could be better, and Champions would have individualized oath, I presume.

Summoner Simon Lancaster

CupcakeTrapDec 4, 20141 votes

Thanks!

I wonder what would happen to the oathbreakers (because in the lore I've read, there's been a couple)?

I was initially thinking that it was an arcane geas that would trigger if the Summoner violated the oath. Then I remembered the Battle of Shurima, and realized that there were an awful lot of Summoners from Demacia, Piltover, and Bandle City who willingly marched alongside Jarvan III as he led an assault on territory under a League peace edict. It's true that they did it to save the world, but … yeah, that does warrant some more consideration.

My off-the-cuff answer: maybe, instead of hurting them, it just creates arcane dissonance when they push against it, and makes it easier to interrogate them on that topic. I imagine that the definition of "breaking their oath" would be somewhat subjective, so it might end up being more about whether the Summoner believes they've broken their oath.

Perhaps, if you're thinking of a Champion oath, it would have a suffix related to the person, like Kayle, where she swears her service for 1000 years.

The Kayle swearing herself to the League's service for 1000 years thing always struck me as kind of weird, but I do think Champions would have a specialized oath.