Bands

The Band is one of the base unit of Au'Kael society. Traditionally, a wandering band consists of several extended family groups, and usually a number of unattached individuals, who travel together. Bands typically number several dozen birds, but can range in size from a few individuals up to a few hundred. Band structures are very fluid and flexible, as bands can join together or split apart, with family groups and individuals coming and going as need and inclination dictate.

Bands are typically led by a Docent, who is the main leader in terms of organizing camps, planning routes, finding resources, and dealing with immediate problems. This position is usually chosen by consensus from the band members and given to a more seasoned individual based on experience and reputation within the Band.

Other prominent positions in the Band include the Bards, keepers of traditional songs, stories, and laws, and who acts as the teachers and arbitrators. There are also the Readers, who are those Au'Kael trained in the casting and reading of their coins and other religious matters. But Readers are more of a rarity in traveling bands, and those Readers which are present typically do not make spiritual practices their main profession, but practice it as needed or when asked.

Even in more settled and urban populations, the Band structure remains, typically with extended Bands sharing farmsteads or neighborhoods within towns and cities.