The Pillars are home to people from numerous cultures who fled the occupation of Izya, and thus have no one naming scheme. A savvy resident can learn a lot about where someone comes from (or where their family came from) based on their name.
The Pillars is the term used to describe both the three cities around the Lady's Lake, and the coalition of ad-hoc governments and civil services which keep those cities running. Journey City, Unknown, and Taizhil have spent decades fighting off takeovers from off-world powers, and they fiercely guard their hard-won independence. Their primary asset is The Tower, also known as the Lady of the Lake, a space elevator which provides vital connection to the rest of the galaxy. With this asset, the Pillars form a significant section of the membership in The Izyan Coalition.