Why does lore explain and then misdiscribe Petricite

Galiö·1/10/2020, 5:18:02 PM·2 votes·7,238 views

Petricite (known as the trees) are cut down and then made into a formula that involves the Petricite (wood) and mixed with Ash and Lime (I presume the rock), to then make Petricite (Steel?).

Petricite (Steel / Less Wood?) is from that point claimed to be part of a steel component in Petricite Steel or simpley a Rock/Stone.

Why is that, i wonder?

Edit: I'm not trying to be aggressive by the way, even though I've been in a super bad mood lately ;p I just felt there was inconsistency, but I had a slight misunderstanding about Petrified Forest and 'Petricite Grove'. I assumed the trees were like that 'naturally (in a magical world sense..?)'. Now I'm curious I'd they were magical PRIOR to the petrification or the petrification is (extra?) magical in nature

17 Comments

RiotRiot Scathlocke1/14/2020, 6:18:15 AM9 votes

Petricite is not the name of the living trees/wood. It very specifically refers only to those petrified trees in Demacia - I'm not sure anyone currently alive in Runeterra knows what the original trees were, or what they were called.

They also aren't (currently?) growing, and so petricite is a finite resource. Once it's all been harvested/mined/whatever, that's it. Tick tock, Jarvan...

(Real-world talk, the name was likely just derived from petrification, which literally means something organic turned into stone, or becoming stone-like. The suffix -cite comes - I think - from Greek, and there are lots of organic stone-like compounds with names like anthracite, etc. It's a fantastical name created by a Rioter before my time, meaning "magical trees which have turned to stone".)

TacoBrain1/10/2020, 5:35:02 PM6 votes

This is what we know:

The trees' Petricite (if it is indeed called that) is unrefined or just not usable for the construction work Demacians want, it is mixed with ash and lime to make the more conventional Petricite we see in cities.
Demacian/Rune/Silver/what I assume you're calling Petricite Steel is not actually confirmed to have Petricite in it but a lot of people believe it does due to Demacian Steel having in-built resistance against magic. For some more info which does point to a link between them:

What kind of metal alloys exist in Runeterra? Is Garen’s sword made with petricite? What about Darius’s axe?

There are many, many different metals and metalworking traditions across Runeterra. Certainly we know of gold, silver, iron, lead, copper, and many more besides—perhaps even some that do not exist in the real world, as well.

Adding powdered rock to the finest steel would likely result in… well, weaker steel. However, the weaponsmiths of the Great City are certainly using petricite for something, and it has been claimed that Demacian steel can offer some resistance to magic. Maybe one day, we’ll find out the truth?

Worth noting that Garen's sword is Sunsteel, which may be a different alloy or metal but appears to be one of the weapons Kayle blessed in her youth. As well as:

Demacia Steel

Military of Demacia

Sometimes referred to as silver steel or rune-steel, this alloy is highly regarded across Runeterra. It is rumored that Demacian armorers quench the metal in blessed waters, to offer protection from magic in battle.

ModThe Djinn1/10/2020, 5:22:56 PM3 votes

I believe that Petricite (steel) is likely metal forged using Petricite (wood) as a fuel source that imparts magical qualities to the finished material, while Petricite (rock) is mixed with Ash and Lime as a building material. Further, I also believe only the latter is called Petricite officially.

Oleandervine1/10/2020, 5:24:29 PM3 votes

Petricite is a stone that's made from the petrified trees, ash, and lime. It's not called Petricite unless it is in the refined stone state.

The stone compound, Petricite, is then used with steel and metal to form the alloys that Demacia uses in its armor and weaponry.

If the stone compound itself is referred to as a metal, it's likely referring to the alloy, or, it's just Riot's own people not being on the same page as their existing information. This has happened before at Riot.

Vlada Cut1/10/2020, 8:13:57 PM1 votes

My gosh, why don't they just make official names already.