Light Sickness
- Stygiras are sickened by bright light. While residing in the Tower of Glass, right beneath the blinding brilliance of the portal to Creation's Forge, Petryk wore his veils to avoid the most adverse effects (and to hide his hideous visage from others).
- One of his main reasons for coming to Cynosure was his desire for his vestigial eyes to grow back; instead, misshapen horns grew from his rocky face-plate due to the influence of the raw vitality pouring out of the portal.
Crystal Research
- Another reason for coming to Cynosure was the study of gemstones, placing Petryk into Velapuri's service as an understudy. Lady Sjel was the one who "embraced" Petryk, sensing his troubles, and persuading Velapuri to accept his apprenticeship. He did not get along with their Familiar, a Calligraphy Wyrm, who could subconsciously sense his connection to the Vitruvian.
- Petryk had a flock of Vegetable Lambs on his isle in the Garland, which he used to study the effects of crystals – particularly the ones he pillaged from the Tower of Glass – on living matter. He was hoping to find a way to modify these gems, and channel their Vitality into his eyes at last, instead of having it cause his horn growth.
Dead God
- An outward display of this connection to the Vitruvian were the corals growing from Petryk's shoulders – implying Undine heritage – and eventual favouring of precious stones related to the sea. The other, more subtle sign was the hollow state of his horns, which like seashells carried echoes of his voice, and whispers of the Vitruvian, making him sound as if multiple people were speaking in unison.
- After communing with the Vitruvian, Petryk started searching for a way to resurrect the Ancient One. This offered him resolve to continue suffering under the light of Creation's Forge, while researching how its vitality could be used to bring his dead god back to life. One by one, he secretly pillaged the vaults of the Tower of Glass, gathering its crystals for study, and storing them on an isle of the Garland.
- What attracted Petryk to the Vitruvian was the latter's promise to heal his eyes at last.
- He is named after petrichor, the earthy smell after rain, because it combines appropriate themes – soil and rock, rain and water, divine blood and a god's deadly wounds.

