The Lawaii: Rankings

THE LAWAII (‘The Noise’)

“Let our cries shake the heavens and earth!”

The Lawaii, previously referred to as ‘the Flock’, is composed of a wide assortment of different bird species, ranging from the tiny finch to the bold eagle. Therefore, as one might guess, there is no distinct personality that can describe the members of The Lawaii, but rather a variety of individual ones. However, there are several general traits that all birds tend to share, and those in the Flock are no exception; characteristics such as fierce determination, greed, aggressiveness, and a sly nature are the most common ones.

It should be noted that the following ranks are all words in the Afrikaans language. Lawaii is pronounced as “luh-why”. The ranks have pronunciation guides beside them.[/center]

The Leier (lay-air)

The leader, if you will, of the Lawaii. They make the ultimate decision on what to do if a major problem arises, and also have the final say over more minor issues (things such as what to do with a prisoner if they’ve been captured, if the Flock should travel more to find food, when to start planning battle tactics should the need arise, or journeying to Ring or other Retro territories and attempting to make truces) that are brought to their attention. Therefore anything of importance must be reported to them immediately. The Leier assigns each member of the Lawaii a rank that they deem them suitable for, asking that the new members defend their Flock and that their leader, in turn, will keep them from harm. However, the Leier is also quick to encourage independence as well – opinions and advice are welcomed and considered, though not always accepted in the end. The Tweede is the Leier’s consultant and often their closest, most trusted friend.

The Tweede (twee-de)

A hard rank to come by, this ranking is only reserved for the retromorph that the Leier trusts the most. To put it simply, they’re the second in command. They help to make sure that everything in the Flock is running smoothly, and should be quick to reprimand those that try to cause disruption amongst the Lawaii (for more serious offenses they will usually take the offenders to the leader, and will, in some cases, be asked to drive them out of the Flock). The Tweede must be someone who is calm, fair and level-headed, not one to make rash decisions; being able to provide good advice is a prerequisite. They are also personally responsible for leading and addressing the guards (Kondukteurs).

The Derde (derd)

The Derde is third in command, acting as a deputy who mostly consults the Tweede when permission is needed for various small matters. They are mainly in charge of the hunters, planning hunts to find food and organizing the hunting party rotations. They also have a say when it comes to how to plan battles, as their hunters often act as ‘warriors’ as well (occasionally the Derde may take on one Jager as their apprentice, giving them the best training they can offer). This deputy must be rational and able to communicate their thoughts and tactics well.

The Kondukteurs (con-duct-oors)

The Kondukteurs are very integral members of the Flock, acting as both guards and scouts. Their duties include defending their fellow Lawaii members when necessary, as well as travelling to other territories to gain information about the Rings and other retromorph groups, and to scope out the lands. They occasionally deliver messages as well. The Tweede is in charge of organizing scouting parties and guard shifts, and leading them.

The Jager (juh-ger)

The Jager are also fundamentally important, as they are the main ones to provide the Flock with food; their hunting parties are typically sorted by bird type (so, birds of prey will obviously hunt for meat and fish, while other types like song birds and parrots will collect whatever berries or nuts they can find. Crows and ravens would mostly stockpile carrion or other various food types they discover) and they rotate shifts every four hours, give or take. As well as searching for food, they are also the primary birds used in battle, since they are usually highly skilled at fighting. The Derde is the one who will lead and organize them.

The Gewoon (geh-woon)

The Gewoon are, to put it simply, the commoners; usually they are the ones who have yet to earn a higher rank, and until they do, they tend to lend a helping wing in whatever needs to be done. Hatchlings and omega-types are also included here.

The Outcasts

These are the bird retromorphs that have been banished from the Flock.