I just watched the cinematic and it has me wondering, what are these runes and how do they play a role in the history of league? Are they kind of like the infinity stones? Are they left overs from the rune wars(assuming thats still a thing in leagues history, I came after so I dont really know)? Im a tad bit confuzled and would love an explanation on what they are.
The origin of the World Runes (The runes Ryze is talking about) isn't clear at present, the main thing is that the World Runes are monstrously powerful, holding enough raw power to obliterate nations and entire sections of continents. The Rune Wars were conflicts fought over these runes and their power, which basically fucked everyone. Ryze secures the Runes in safe places, which at this point seems to be in the petrified forest that Demacia gets its petricite from, in order to keep them away from those who would use them for their own ends, as that's not gonna end well for anyone.
Basically they're stupid powerful runes capable of destroying the world if used wrong. Ryze just doesn't want that to happen, ever. Beyond that, we know very little else beyond them being so powerful they easily corrupt anyone who even touches them. Ryze is among the few who has the strength to overcome that.
They're a combination of the One Ring and a Nuke launcher
World Runes.
Think of nukes that naturally occur in nature but people can hold onto them like actual nukes.
So apparently (I'm not sure if this was retconned) but at the peak of the very beginning of Runeterra, powerful magic had to be used in order to shape and alter its landscape [we're not told by who or what, I assume Brandon Beck and Marc Merill], powerful magics that were concentrated in tangible stones called 'World Runes'. Throughout Runeterran history, major civilizations began to discover these World Runes and decided to use them against other neighboring nations. Some World Runes could forge mountains, others channeled oceans, point is, these runes were then weaponized in order to push political agendas.
After the Rune Wars, Ryze decided to search and collect for these runes using only a map given by his predecessor, and hide them from mortal hands. Obviously handling such powers alter human physiology, hence Ryze's blue skin and his longevity.
So yeah, they're practically infinity stones.
