Character & Name Guide
HISTORICAL PERIOD
Legend of Exorcism is set during the Tianbao era (742–756 AD), the third regnal period of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. The Tianbao era saw the decline of the Tang dynasty, commonly regarded as the pinnacle of imperial Chinese civilization.
Many of the characters who appear in Legend of Exorcism are fictionalized versions of real historical figures contemporary to the setting, including Emperor Xuanzong himself, Li Longji, as well as Noble Consort Yang Yuhuan and Right Chancellor Yang Guozhong. The main members of the Department of Exorcism are fully fictional, though some of their family members are real historical figures.
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Characters
MAIN CHARACTERS
KONG HONGJUN 孔鸿俊: A half-yao boy from Yaojin Palace who is sent on a mission to expel the yao king of Chang’an.
LI JINGLONG 李景珑: Formerly a commandant of the Longwu Guard, an ordinary mortal who becomes the chief of the Great Tang Department of Demonic Exorcism.
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SUPPORTING CHARACTERS
THE DEPARTMENT OF DEMONIC EXORCISM
ZHAO ZILONG 赵子龙: A carp yao and Hongjun’s closest companion.
MERGEN 莫日根: A Shiwei tribesman with the ability to transform into a gray wolf.
TIGRA YAZDEGERD 泰格拉 á 伊思艾 (A-TAI 阿泰): A Persian prince and last surviving descendant of the House of Sasan, as well as a disciple of Persian Zoroastrianism.
QIU YONGSI 裘永思: A Jiangnan scholar from West Lake sent to Chang’an to build his courage.
LU XU 陆许: A young scout from the border regions with the ability to transform into a white deer.
ASHINA ADARVAN 阿史那琼: A-Tai’s friend and loyal follower.
TURANDOKHT 特兰朵: A-Tai’s fiancée.
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YAOJIN PALACE
CHONG MING 重明: Leader of the three yao kings of Yaojin Palace and Hongjun’s adoptive father; a phoenix.
QING XIONG 青雄: One of the three yao kings of Yaojin Palace; a peng.
KONG XUAN 孔宣: One of the three yao kings of Yaojin Palace and Hongjun’s birth father; a peacock.
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CHANG’AN
DI RENJIE 狄仁杰: Statesman and founder of the Great Tang Department of Demonic Exorcism (deceased).
THE DUCHESS OF GUO 虢国夫人: Yang Yuhuan’s elder sister.
EMPEROR XUANZONG 唐玄宗 (LI LONGJI 李隆基): The reigning emperor of Great Tang.
FENG CHANGQING 封常清: A general of Great Tang and Li Jinglong’s elder cousin.
GAO LISHI 高力士: Chief Eunuch.
HU SHENG 胡升: Captain of the Longwu Guard and Li Jinglong’s former superior.
HUANG YONG 黄庸: Deputy Chief Justice of the Imperial Court of Judicial Review.
LI HENG 李亨: The crown prince of Great Tang.
QIN WU 秦伍: Li Jinglong’s former subordinate in the Longwu Guard.
YANG GUOZHONG 杨国忠: Right Chancellor and Yang Yuhuan’s cousin.
YANG YUHUAN 杨玉环: Beloved consort of Emperor Xuanzong, also known as Noble Consort Yang.
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LIANG PREFECTURE
GESHU HAN 哥舒翰: The military governor of Hexi and Duke of Liang.
LIU FEI 刘非: The king of the fallen corpse ghosts.
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OTHER
AN LUSHAN 安禄山: The military governor of Hedong and Fanyang.
JIA YUZE 贾毓泽: Hongjun’s late mother.
JIA ZHOU 贾洲: Hongjun’s maternal uncle, the governor of Gua Prefecture.
LI BAI 李白: Courtesy name Taibai. Famous poet and friend of Li Jinglong. AN LUSHAN 安禄山: The military governor of Hedong and Fanyang.
JIA YUZE 贾毓泽: Hongjun’s late mother.
JIA ZHOU 贾洲: Hongjun’s maternal uncle, the governor of Gua Prefecture.
LI BAI 李白: Courtesy name Taibai. Famous poet and friend of Li Jinglong.
WEN BIN 文斌: A gardener in Luoyang who fell in love with a peony.
XIANGYU 香玉: A peony yao.
XIE YU 獬狱: A black jiao who escaped from the Dragon-Quelling Tower, formerly thought to be the yao king of Chang’an.
YUAN KUN 袁昆: A yao known as the divine kun and a friend of Qing Xiong.
WEN BIN 文斌: A gardener in Luoyang who fell in love with a peony.
XIANGYU 香玉: A peony yao.
XIE YU 獬狱: A black jiao who escaped from the Dragon-Quelling Tower, formerly thought to be the yao king of Chang’an.
YUAN KUN 袁昆: A yao known as the divine kun and a friend of Qing Xiong.
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Name Guide
Names, Honorifics, and Titles
Diminutives, Nicknames, and Name Tags
A-: Friendly diminutive. Always a prefix. Usually for monosyllabic names, or one syllable out of a disyllabic name.
DA-: A prefix meaning “big” or “elder,” which can be added before titles for elders, like “dage” or “dajie,” or before a name.
LAO-: A prefix meaning “old.” Usually added to a surname and used in informal contexts.
XIAO-: A prefix meaning “little” or “younger,” which can be added before names or titles for juniors like “xiaodi.” Often used in an affectionate and familiar context.
-ER: Affectionate diminutive. A suffix meaning “son” or “child.” Usually for monosyllabic names, or one syllable out of a disyllabic name.
-LAO: A suffix attached to the surname of venerated elders. Denotes a particularly high degree of respect.
-SHI: A suffix attached to the surname of a woman to denote her maiden name.
Family
DI/DIDI: A word meaning “younger brother.” It can also be used to address an unrelated (usually younger) male peer, and optionally used as a suffix.
DIMEI: A colloquial way to refer to one’s younger brother’s wife.
ERGE: A word meaning “second brother.”
GE/GEGE: A word meaning “elder brother.” It can also be used to address an unrelated male peer, and optionally used as a suffix.
JIE/JIEJIE: A word meaning “elder sister.” It can also be used to address an unrelated female peer, and optionally used as a suffix.
JIUJIU: A word meaning “maternal uncle.”
MEI/MEIMEI: A word meaning “little sister.” It can also be used to address an unrelated female peer, and optionally used as a suffix.
SAOZI: A word meaning “elder brother’s wife.” It can also be used to address the wife of an unrelated male peer.
Other
SHIFU: A word for “master” or “teacher.”
XIONG: A word meaning “elder brother.” It can be attached as a suffix to address an unrelated male peer.
XIONGDI: A word meaning “brother.” It can be attached as a suffix to address an unrelated male peer.