Headcanons: Summoner Spells
- Being a discourse over the technicalities behind the magic of Summoner Spells, as well as how they are applied by Renzus, a former Summoner. I’ll be covering just the ones from Summoner’s Rift, as these are probably the most well-known.
Read More’d for length.
Flash: Perhaps one of the most well-known spells used by the former Summoner order, Flash is nevertheless only taught to fully-fledged members due to the considerable risks involved. Instantaneous displacement of a living creature is no small feat, for the spell requires a hefty expenditure of mana on the Summoner’s part, briefly “shunting” the target of the spell through space and time. The spell requires incredibly precise magical control, for even the slightest mistake in its casting can send its target into somewhere disastrous and possibly fatal, such as inside a wall.
Renzus has refined the Flash technique to use considerably more subtlety, slipping quietly through a shadowy haze to his intended location rather than arrive in an obvious burst of light and sound. It is a technique he uses sparingly, however, for the strain involved precludes rapid or sustained usage.
Teleport: Unlike its short-ranged but instantaneous cousin Flash, teleportation is a spell with a few more drawbacks, exchanging freedom of destination and speed of arrival for sheer range. Teleport taps into the leylines ingrained within Runeterra itself, creating a temporal and spatial link between two often predetermined locales so that a creature or object may be sent through. Due to the nature of the spell, it is impossible to cast Teleport without a destination connected to some kind of arcane fixture. With that being said, Teleport seldom comes with any overt risks in its casting, merely a lengthy casting time that must go uninterrupted.
Teleport is one of the greatest secrets that Renzus possesses, and it is the reason behind his ability to travel Valoran quickly and coordinate the actions of the Crows and their allies seemingly without pause. One of the first things the Crows did during the Fall of the Institute was to secure access to its teleportation network, sequestering the linked nexus crystal within the Nest under heavy guard. Since then, they have established numerous clandestine teleportation circles in every major province, the better to swiftly travel undetected.
Ignite: The simplest offensive spell taught even to initiate Summoners, Ignite uses a rudimentary technique, but one focused enough that it inflicts grievous damage even in the hands of a novice. Ignite uses the ambient mana in all living things to create a blaze of magical fire, impossible to extinguish with mundane methods. The inferno is relatively short-lived, as the mana fueling the spell is swiftly consumed as its target burns, but most would say even the brief moment that the spell creates is sufficient.
Every Summoner often has a different expression or flair with which they employ Ignite, and Renzus is no different. While it is a technique that Renzus seldom employs due to its simplistic nature, he will not hesitate to start a conflagration when a show of force is required. His flames burn with a ruby-red blaze, empowered by the Crow’s superior knowledge of sorcery, burning harder and longer than the conventional spell.
Smite: Smite is another relatively simple spell, devised by the Summoner order originally to combat dangerous monsters and other foes untrained in magic. Smite has all the subtlety and brute force of a magical sledgehammer, a bolt of sheer mana conjured to strike an opponent with armour-piercing physical force. Devastating against beasts and monsters, Smite loses much of its edge against humanoid foes, who can either avoid the bolt or dampen it with the simple application of defensive magic.
When Renzus employs his mastery of the Smite spell, it is one with chilling precision and power, manifesting instead as arcs of crimson lightning that can disintegrate a man or blast through a foot-thick stone wall. Again, it is not a spell that the First Crow often employs, but when push comes to shove, it is one tool in his formidable arsenal.
Exhaust: A more insidious spell designed to hinder and weaken even the strongest warrior, Exhaust turns the target’s strength against them, a hex that is simultaneously an application of temporal manipulation as well as a curse of lethargy. The victim suddenly finds themselves bereft of strength and agility, fighting to move their limbs as if immersed in thick swampwater.
Renzus has not often had cause to employ Exhaust, for his methods often involve the swift and clinical execution of those in his way. However, should particularly dangerous opponents present themselves to him, Renzus knows to use it to slow pursuit and facilitate an easy escape.
Heal: The art of healing is well-known throughout Valoran, by magic-users of all kinds. The Summoner order’s version transfuses the recipient with restorative energy, accelerating the wounded individual’s metabolism to the point where injuries mend of their own accord. Because it functions in such a manner, Heal comes into play with minimal strings attached, unlike the shamanistic rituals used by primitive sorcerers and witch doctors, although there is only so much a body can do to heal itself, even with magical stimulus; successive Heal spells have diminishing returns, particularly against severe wounds that must still be treated over a longer period of rest.
Renzus has always maintained that his proficiency in healing is merely ‘competent’, although the truth of the matter is that he employs the Heal spell with the same precision and power that manifests in other forms of his magic. There is no unique spin on its spellwork, for the Crow sees no need to modify a spell with such a simple, straightforward purpose.
Barrier: The strongest defense is the simplest one, and Barrier is a simple, yet effective spell indeed. By channeling mana through an arcane ward, the Summoner can project an shield of invisible force that absorbs blows and deflects projectiles. The strength of a Barrier is only as much as the defender wishes to commit to it, which is often a matter of snap decision making; too strong a barrier, and the effort is wasted guarding against attacks that would have stood little chance of hurting the Summoner to begin with. Too weak, and the barrier would fail after a few impacts, leaving the Summoner defenseless.
The wards that Renzus employs are markedly different from the conventional spell. Rather than simply project a shield to absorb impacts, the barriers that Renzus manifests are brief but powerful slivers of force intended to parry aside rather than block, a technique that has taken him years of training and experience to master, but master it he has. It is a more efficient form of defense, one that Renzus can maintain for extended periods of time, and often against multiple aggressors at once.
Cleanse: Cleanse is a technique developed soon after the Heal spell was created, a modification of the flesh-weaving biomancy that its older cousin employs. Using a similar vein of restorative energy, Cleanse purges its target of harmful debilitation, as well as dampening the effects of hostile magic. While unable to restore strength and vitality in the same way that Heal does, Cleanse nevertheless proves a strong defensive option.
When Renzus employs Cleanse, it is often a swift, reactionary use designed to intercept a hex or debilitating spell as soon as it reaches him. Casting it almost purely on reflex, Renzus often uses it to stay moving while eluding capture, as well as serving as a useful tool for self-preservation considering the amount of poisoned food and drink that comes with operating in Valoran’s underworld.
