The Greater Clans are the most powerful, wealthy and ancient of the magical families. About half of them are founding houses of the Council, which gives them a great deal of influence among other clans. They are generally a single family, rather than a large family with many branch houses or a series of commonly intermarried families. For example, the Kiseki Clan was made up of the Kiseki family, with more distant relations considered semi-members of the Clan. Members of these clans are most often involved in politics, either directly or subvertly, and are also common among scholars and academics. They rarely become traders or artisans, as they consider it beneath them. Their magic and special abilities are traded for political power, not wealth. Children of the Greater Clans are never sold into bonded servitude (axemi).
Lesser Clans out number Greater Clans about ten to one, perhaps more. A Lesser Clan can be made up of a single small family, with moderate influence and wealth; a small group of minor families bound together out of mutual interest, marriage and/or convenience, smaller factions among magical races, or larger families spread across several branch houses. Lesser Clans often own allegiance or debt to one of the Greater Clans. This comes in the form of magical or political support, and can even include financial aid. If a Greater Clan wants to sell its services, the use a Lesser Clan to do so. For example, the Kiseki Clan created the mage collars used to control Axemi-lis and Axemi-ter; they also crafted boxes, bags and other objects which were bigger on the inside. They used an allied Lesser House to bring these two objects to market. Children of the Lesser Clans are occasionally sold as Axemi-lis or Axemi-ter, although it is mostly caused by losses in the political field than any true desire to provide service to others. Lesser Clans are merchants, scholars, and artisans. A few send children to become Civil servants, but the Lesser Clans political sway remains limited by the Greater Clans.
Human mages are not always born into magical families, and are therefore outside of the protection of the Council. They are most commonly taken as Axemi-lis. Members of magical races can also be born outside the protection of the council; certain races are not included in the Council, and are shunned. Certain individuals have been cast out of their Clan, or choose to live on their own. These children occasionally become Axemi-ter, depending on their families financial situation. Tatari likes to target these people, offering deals for their children, because no one will speak up on their behalf.
The Council itself mirrors the power dynamic of the Clans. Each Clan can send two Representatives to the Council meetings (in addition to a small entourage of servants and bodyguards). One Rep from each of the Greater Clans sits at the table/on the dais. They discuss most of the issues, and make most of the decisions. Their vote is what matters. Primary Reps from the Lesser Clans, sit in seating around the dais. They can be called on to speak, or polled, but their vote is almost irrelevant. Secondary Reps from both the Greater and Lesser Clans are seated behind the primary Reps from the Lesser Clans. Their input is rarely required; they do not vote, cannot be polled, and cannot speak unless specifically asked to do so by a primary Rep of a Greater Clan. Heirs make up about half of this group, while advisers and spouses make up the other half.
