History
The Pillar of Smoke was a magical artifact brought to Salem by the first Witches to settle there. The Pillar is a plume of smoke during the day and a column of fire during the night that is invisible to non-magic users and guarded by Apocaledon. If the magic users of Salem approach the Pillar at dusk, they are able interact with it, causing it to turn to a massive stone column covered in sigils that recharge their magic.[1]
The Pillar of Smoke's toppling
While trying to harness the magic of Salem, the magic-thief Chad Barrow killed Apocaledon and toppled the Pillar, seemingly destroying it.[1] It was revealed though that the Pillar continued into the ground and what Barrow had destroyed was only a portion of the full Pillar.[2]
The buried portion