Saphery, formally the Kingdom of Saphery, is one of the ten constituent kingdoms of the High Elves' island-continent of Ulthuan. It is one of the Inner Kingdoms, located to the southeast of the Sea of Dreams.[1a] 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.[1b]
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, or the crypt of Mad Chasyrion, avoided by everyone since its owner is misanthropic and known to perform many strange and dangerous sorceries there. 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.[1b]
But not all the inhahitants of this realm are solitary. Some are great warriors and statesmen. These mages of Saphery and their personal guards are often summoned by the Phoenix King to aid him in his wars. Many are dispatched on missions by the lord of the Phoenix Throne and can be found leading arrrues in strange and out of the way pans of the world.[9a]
The heart of Saphery is the Tower of Hoeth, the Elven god of wisdom. Visible tens of miles away, 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.[1b]
Saphery is a sparsely populated land. The nobility study the arts of magic and many choose to fight in battle as wizards. From all over Ulthuan determined young Elves also come to Saphery in the hope of being accepted in the Order of Swordmasters. These elite warriors are trained by the Loremasters in the most ancient and arcane of martial arts. Their distinctive weapon is the double-handed broadsword, a massive weapon they wield as easily as an ordinary Elf might brandish a knife or dagger.[2a]
History[]
Concept art of Saphery created for Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning.
Even during the Sundering Saphery was famed for its mages, and wizard prince fought wizard prince, for there were many who had taken their magical researches too far and into whose souls darkness had entered. Slowly, as the followers of the Phoenix King gained the upper hand during the terrible Elven civil war, these tainted mages fled to Nagarythe and lent their strength to Malekith and his Dark Elven armies.[10a]
Geography and Local Fauna[]
Saphery has rivers so clear that the water seems almost invisible. Even when the sun is high in the sky, casting a pleasant warmth over the land, shining mists occasionally rise from the ground, gathering into miniature tornadoes that sweep across the landscape. They leave no damage in their wake, instead a glistening trail of moisture and 'crystal laughter'.[3a] Magic impregnate so deeply the ground that some of the woods are made of white trees with blue leaves, and fields of bluish-green grass.[8][*1]
Map of Saphery from Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
For all their beauty, the woodlands of Saphery can still be dangerous. On some pathways, subtle protective spells are woven into the milestones that mark them. These aid at keeping the more dangerous beasts away, and warding off some of the strange magical dangers to be had in the forests. Straying too far from the trail, however, can leave one exposed, with a reliance on magic alone being ill-advised.[5a]
As one crosses one of the wide, shallow rivers that wind sedately from the Annulii Mountains to the Inner Sea, one might catch the sound of commotion upstream and spot a host of translucent, blue skinned nymphs with hair of foaming spume cavorting through the water, splashing and teasing one another. Said-nymphs will disappear beneath the water if they sense being watched, racing down stream towards observers to reveal giggling features alive with amorous mischief.[3a]
Herds of magical beasts can be seen on the horizon with every turn of the head. Such as the Uleishi, thin-limbed creatures of glowing light dancing to an unheard tune, weaving in and out of crops, their every footstep leaving an imprint where a budding shoot of fresh corn pushes its way clear of the ground. They tend the crops and ensure the harvest is bountiful. Mostly harmless, they love mischief, and it is common for them to steal into a house and bang pots or mess the place up if they are not happy with the care the crops are receiving.[3a] In addition to what's already been noted, one may see any number of incredible sights: a flying castle in the sky, swirling troupes of wind-borne dancers, spectral dragons riding on streamers of light. If one walks along the lines of power in Saphery, one might even see ghostly processions of the dead, their spirits fading from view as they seem oblivious to the living. Yet the Asur believe that were Saphery attacked, these spirits would fight against any threat to Ulthuan and its waystones as surely as they had in life.[3a]
Notable Locations[]
- Port Elistor - City[1a]
- Shadow Peak - Fortress[1a]
- Shrine of Hoeth - Shrine[1a]
- Tor Finu - City[1a]
- Tower of the Winds - Fortress[1a]
Forces of Saphery[]
Saphery is the land of magic and wizardry, where careful study and puissant wisdom bring greater honours than battle ever could. All of the princes and nobles of this land are mages of great power, and it is said that magic, rather than blood, flows through their veins. Yet wisdom and wizardry alone will never be sufficient to keep a land in safety, and Saphery does not neglect its martial ways. It's spear and archer regiments are as well-trained and numerous as those of other lands, and a good many of its nobles are as dedicated to the arts of battle as they are the more esoteric practicers of magic. Indeed, the wisdom of Saphery takes many forms, and not all of them are tied to sorcery. All manner of wisdom can be learnt in the cloistered chambers of this kingdom, from grand strategy to the tactics of desperation, from spearcraft to the shattering of siegeworks. To challenge the armies of Saphery, therefore, is to invite a swift, but impeccably inflicted, defeat.[6a]
The mage princes of Saphery are eccentric even by the standards of other High Elves, inclined to idiosyncratic manners of dress and armament. Almost all bear cresecent tokens of Lileath, goddess of dreams and visions, for few mages can know success without her favour. The banners of Sapherian princes often make reference to Lileath, or her symbol of the crescent moon. It is not uncommon for the goddess to be depicted wielding two swords - 'Alilnor' or 'Bringer of Knowledge', and 'Valénor' or 'Bringer of Power' - for these are the weapons she places in the hands of those who observe her worship. While the robes of mages often bear the stars of the night sky, a silent testament to Lileath, and to Morai-Heg, the Crone Goddess who set the stars in the heavens.[6a]
Warriors of Saphery set their wayshards into intricately crafted ailettes. These fixings are often treasured heirlooms handed down though the generations. Only a spear regiment assigned to guard a mage is entitled to bear the image of Lileath upon its shields. Others carry her symbol of the cresent moon, or one or more of the seven stars of Hoeth.[6a] This not apply to other Warriors of Saphery that freely bear the crescent moon of Lileath upon their banners and shields.[1c]
The Tower of Hoeth is a source of great pride for all Sapherian Elves, and appears - in some form or another - on many banner and shield designs. Otherwise some banners show Cindermane, the celestial steed who bears Lileath across the heavens.[6b]
Swordmasters of Hoeth[]
The Swordmasters of Hoeth have dedicated their lives to the pursuit of martial perfection. They train ceaselessly with their slender greatswords. seeking to master every nuance of strike and counterstrike. A Swordmasters first duty is to the Tower of Hoeth, and to the Loremasters who, study within - accordingly. the tower features on almost every banner in some form or another. Nevertheless, each warrior is always eager to wield his sword in the Phoenix King's service. for it is in such battles that his skill will truly be tested.[6a]
Every Swordmaster's weapon is forged specifically for its wielder. The smiths of Hoeth take the recipient's height and stance into careful account when shaping the blade, and decorate the hilt, tang and pommel only with cloths and gemstones auspiciously linked with the wielder's hour of birth. It is rare, therefore, for two swords to be exactly the same.[6a]
Notes[]
- *1: These forests are shown on the game, Warhammer: Age of Reckoning artworks, no other sources mention them.
Sources[]
- 1: Warhammer Armies: High Elves (8th Edition)
- 2: Warhammer Armies: High Elves (5th Edition)
- 2a: pg. 48
- 3: Defenders of Ulthuan (Novel), by Graham McNeill
- 3a: Chapter 9
- 4: Blood of Aenarion (Novel), by William King
- 4a: Chapter 10
- 5: Sword of Caledor (Novel), by William King
- 5a: Chapter 15
- 6: Uniforms & Heraldry of the High Elves
- 7: Warhammer: Age of Reckoning By Anthony Reynolds
- 8: Total War: Warhammer II
- 9: Warhammer Armies: High Elves (4th Edition)
- 9a: pg. 11
- 10: Warhammer Armies: High Elves (7th Edition)
- 11: Bane of Malekith (Novel), by William King
- 11a: Chapter 7
Gallery[]
