Banner of Saphery
The Kingdom of Saphery is an enchanted land, with skies that shine with all the colours of the rainbow, hills that move by night and warm rivers that glow with gentle light. Magic courses through the blood of Sapherian Elves, and all of the realm's princes are also mages of awesome power. They are reclusive and idiosyncratic, dwelling in exquisite mansions far from other outposts of civilisation. Each noble's home has its own character that reflects the interests and magical research of its patron.[1a]
The palace of Anurion the Green is surrounded by terraced gardens containing many strange and exotic plants, with some carnivorous, some sentient, some both. Much of his collection is not even of this world. By contrast, the mansion of Hothar the Fey drifts gently across the sky, never greeting the dawn twice in the same location. Though Sapherian princes are thought eccentric even by other High Elves, their independence and intellect have ever been highly valued by the Phoenix Kings. Predictability, after all, can sometimes be a weakness.[1a]
The heart of Saphery is the Tower of Hoeth, the Elven god of wisdom. This is the greatest repository of magical knowledge in the world, complied down the centuries by High Elf Mages and scholars who dedicated their lives to the accumulation of magical lore. This bone white structure is almost half a mile high, a feat of engineering made possible only by magic. Its approaches are guarded by rings of illusion, and mazes of spells ensure that only those selected by the Loremasters of Hoeth ever find the true path. Those who seek wisdom here will find it. Those who seek power for power's sake are never seen again.[1a]
