Palister Family

Biodata

Background / History

The Palister Family is an ancient noble house whose reputation rests on martial strength. Its members are described as possessing the “bloodline of the gods,” and the family produced Saint-rank and divine-level experts across its early history. By the present era, however, its martial inheritance and political weight have greatly diminished. 1 6

Founding and imperial service

Haojue Palister founded the family several thousand years ago. A Sub-God Rank swordsman, he helped the first emperor establish the Saint Mavana Empire, then refused higher titles and accepted only the rank of count. The resulting God-Descendant Count title grants exceptional ceremonial privileges, including the right to meet the emperor without kneeling. 6

The family repeatedly saved the empire during major crises:

• Fifteen hundred years ago: Family head Babus Palister broke a Dominico Empire invasion, slew dozens of experts above the eighth level and a Saint Magister, then led the counterattack despite losing the use of an arm. 6
• Seven hundred years ago: Family head Brown Palister ended the rebellion of thirteen eastern lords by killing dozens of Dragon Knights and their dragons outside the imperial capital. 6

These victories came at a cost: the family heads who achieved them died from severe injuries, contributing to the decline of the family’s once-peerless martial tradition. No Saint Rank expert has appeared since Brown’s death, and the strongest family members of the present era have reached only the ninth level. 6

Present decline

The current head, Count Derek Palister, is an upper-grade eighth-level expert. The family still holds Ama City and its surrounding territory as its fief, but its prestige no longer guarantees security or wealth. 5 6

At the York County ancestral manor, available liquid capital is reported at roughly 100,000 Gold Coins, reflecting the family’s weakened finances. 14 Its reduced standing becomes publicly evident when Catherine is mocked at auction as a representative of a decaying household. 29

Bloodline and martial inheritance

The family’s strength historically derives from its bloodline and secret cultivation canon.

• Most Palister family members are known for golden hair and handsome features. 7
• Haojue Palister himself had distinctive pale-blue hair, a trait later shared by Nicholas. 7
• The Palister secret canon is considered a top-tier cultivation method, but members must begin cultivating it before adulthood; Nicholas cannot use it after his meridians are restored because he is already seventeen. 4
• The family’s emphasis on combat ability is so extreme that Nicholas’s inability to cultivate causes relatives and servants alike to regard him as a disgrace. 1 6

Estates and traditions

• Count’s Mansion, Ama City — The family’s principal residence. Its architecture is ancient, restrained, and solemn rather than lavish; an immense statue of Haojue stands at its entrance. 6
• York County ancestral manor — The family’s birthplace and cemetery grounds, located southeast of Ama City near the sea. 5
• Family cemetery — Contains the tombs of Palister ancestors, maintained in orderly rows. A secluded elder, later identified as the family’s ancestor, lives in a small stone house within the graveyard. 15 25
• Grave Guarding — An annual ancestral rite in which the designated family member remains in the cemetery for a full day and night to honor the dead. 15

Known members

Relationships

• Saint Mavana Empire — The family helped establish and repeatedly defend the empire, but its status also makes it vulnerable to imperial compromises. 6 39
• Zodiac Twelve Palaces — The Palace of Sickness seeks retaliation after Nicholas kills its palace master’s eldest son; the empire agrees to pay compensation and demands Nicholas be delivered to them. 34 39
• The Church — The Church intervenes to prevent the Palace of Sickness from immediately attacking the family, viewing such an attack as a challenge to the Saint Mavana Empire. 39
• Nicholas Palister — Though treated as a burden within the Count’s Mansion, Nicholas ultimately defends the family’s honor and accepts exile to prevent further danger to its members. 29 39

Story Role / Major Arcs

Succession conflict

Nicholas’s status as Derek’s eldest son makes him a formal contender for inheritance despite his crippled condition. Derek sends him to York County under the pretext of Grave Guarding, intending to keep him away while Gilbert is favored as heir. 1 5

York County restoration

At the ancestral manor, Nicholas develops a stronger attachment to the family’s legacy. He participates in Grave Guarding, meets the cemetery-dwelling ancestor, learns martial techniques, and discovers a way to restore the value of the manor’s Gold-Quenching Stones. 15 17 18 37

Conflict with the Zodiac Twelve Palaces

When a noble young master insults the Palister Family, Nicholas intervenes to defend Catherine and the family name. He kills the noble, later revealed to be the eldest son of the Palace Master of the Palace of Sickness, exposing the family to retaliation from the Zodiac Twelve Palaces. 29 30 34

Nicholas’s exile

The Saint Mavana Empire reaches a compromise with the Zodiac Twelve Palaces: one million Gold Coins and Nicholas’s surrender. Derek instead arranges for Nicholas to leave York County and flee to the Western Continent, choosing to protect both his son and the wider family. 39

Trivia

• The family’s founder, Haojue, refused the titles of prince and duke before accepting the lesser—but uniquely privileged—title of count. 6
• Although the Palister Family has declined, its old ancestor remains powerful enough that high-tier experts fear provoking the family on its own territory. 24
• Nicholas vows to restore the Palister Family to its former glory as long as he lives. 41