Saphethion was the capital and ancient centre of knowledge and learning in Saphery, ages before the construction of the White Tower of Hoeth. It was destroyed during the Sundering.
Unlike most Elven settlements, Saphethion was a flying city. Ruled by Lord Thyriol, an ancient Elven mage who had stood at the side of Aenarion and had been one of the voices that spoke in support of Bel Shanaar, Saphethion was a wonder of magical craft. It had no fixed location, but instead floated across the lengths of Saphery.[1] The magic woven into its foundations allowed it to drift slightly apart from space and time, making the interior larger than the exterior. Some of its halls weren't even in Saphethion proper, but in Lothern, Tor Anroc or Tor Yvresse. [1]
The palace itself was comprised of large alabaster spires and white buttresses that surrounded a central hall.[1] A network of crystals connected the foundations of each building, investing it with the magic needed to stay afloat. At its core stood a large crystal, which could be used to channel the Winds of Magic and achieve feats of extraordinary power. During times of war, spells of devastating might could be channelled through the heart of Saphethion, enough to level a city.[2a]
During the Elven civil war, students began to turn to the use of Dark magic. Enticed by promises from Malekith's followers, they tried to learn dark magic in order to fight back against the encroaching Druchii.[1] Others were tired of the restrictions placed on them by true magic and instead sought power for their own ends. In response, Saphethion was refunctioned as an engine of war to hunt down the renegade Sapherians.[2a]
When the Sundering began, the waves of chaotic magic and the struggle over the Great Vortex between Malekith's followers and the loyalists of the Phoenix King destroyed the equilibrium that had enabled the city to remain afloat.[2b] It crashed into the foothills of the Annulii, and could not be recreated by the lesser mages that followed the Sundering.