7 replies to this topic

[SgtMagor]

after all these years of playing MechWarrior, I never learned why they call The Summoner a Summoner, what is the lore behind this, thx...

Edited by Egomane, 10 May 2014 - 05:53 AM.

[3rdworld]

I am not sure what the question is.

Summoner is the mechs clan name. Just like a jenner or highlander, just a name.

If you are asking why the Thor is called a Summoner or vice versa: Clan mechs when they arrived on the innersphere were not registered by innersphere targeting computers because they were unknown designs. The dubious Mad Cat (Timber Wolf to clans) being one of the most famous, because Phelan's computer kept switching targeting info between a Marauder (MAD) and a Catapult (CAT).

So pretty well any mech that was used in the clan invasion has a Innersphere name and a clan name. Thor just happens to be what the innersphere pilots used to designate the Summoner.

Clan / IS
Kit Fox / Uller
Adder / Puma
Nova / Black Hawk
Storm Crow / Ryoken
Summoner / Thor
Timber Wolf / Mad Cat
Warhawk / Masakari
Dire Wolf / Daishi

Edited by 3rdworld, 10 May 2014 - 06:02 AM.

[FupDup]

It summons thunder and lightning, making it a Thor.

[El Bandito]

Cause it summons lightning (PPC), thunder (LBX), and rain (LRM).

That's why it is a Summoner.


*edit* BRB, strangling my toddler cause he diverted my attention just enough for FupDup to type it before me.

Edited by El Bandito, 10 May 2014 - 06:22 AM.

[CyclonerM]

FupDup, on 10 May 2014 - 06:19 AM, said:

It summons thunder and lightning, making it a Thor.

Too bad this thougt did not occur to the Jade Falcon engineers designing it..

[SgtMagor]

kewl, it certainly lives up to the name, I still say the Summoner is one of the greatest mech they ever created for MechWarrior. my 3 mechs I specialized in since playing mechawrrior games.

1-Summoner
2-Atlas
3-Shadow Cat

[Strum Wealh]

SgtMagor, on 10 May 2014 - 05:52 AM, said:

after all these years of playing MechWarrior, I never learned why they call The Summoner a Summoner, what is the lore behind this, thx...

Well, Thor - the IS designation - arguably comes from the primary config's armament being a combination of lightning (ER-PPC), thunder (LB-X AC) and rain (LRM launcher), thus befitting the image of the Storm God.
It also fits with the other two mainly-CJF 'Mechs - the Loki (Hellbringer) and the Uller (Kit Fox) are also named for old Germanic/Nordic gods.

As for "Summoner" (which, in theory, is supposed to be unrelated to the IS designation)... well, one definition is that of an ecclesiastical court official "whose job it was to deliver a summons to an offending member of the diocese", where "offenses dealt with by such courts included "sins of immorality, witchcraft, usury, simony, neglect of the sacraments, and withholding tithes or offering".
Another definition is that of "a position in many traditional Wiccan covens" where "the primary, or at least most evident, function of the Summoner is to call other coven members to a meeting or ritual".
This might also tie into the Hellbringer (as another ecclesiastical/spiritual/etc reference), and the Kit Fox (as its namesake plays a prominent role in several Native American belief systems)...?

[El Bandito]

FupDup, on 10 May 2014 - 06:19 AM, said:

It summons thunder and lightning, making it a Thor.

CyclonerM, on 10 May 2014 - 06:27 AM, said:

Too bad this thougt did not occur to the Jade Falcon engineers designing it..

The underlined word might have been the reason why it is called the Summoner.

Edited by El Bandito, 10 May 2014 - 06:59 AM.