List of Families/Characters:

[bandit]

(See GLOSSARY for explanation for how families are structured, but tl;dr they function basically like mob factions.)

There are five great magical families/clans operating in this novel, each of which has their own area of influence. (There are also many lesser families and clans operating throughout the land, but they have a lot less power so you’ll be hearing about them very rarely!)

The five great families are as follows: Qishan Wen, Yunmeng Jiang, Lanling Jin, Gusu Lan, Qinghe Nie.

The naming of these families follows the convention {AREA NAME} {FAMILY SURNAME}.

Thus, Qishan Wen is the Wen family, operating out of the Qishan area. Yunmeng Jiang is the Jiang family, operating out of the Yunmeng area. Etc.

Additionally, each family has their own hometown within the area that they operate. Yunmeng Jiang, for instance, lives at Lianhua Wu, within the Yunmeng area. (If this seems confusing, think of it this way: Yunmeng is the locational equivalent of Maryland; Lianhua Wu is the locational equivalent of Baltimore.)

Sometimes characters will be referred to by different names at different times. Many characters will have a given name as well as a call name (given to them by an elder in the family, for polite usage afaict). Sometimes they have titles as well.

Important tools (swords, instruments) are also personal, bespoke, named.

( List below the cut )