Bards have their own guild, the Skaldings, with their own chapterhouses throughout the lands. Bards are hired as emissaries and messengers – and when acting as official representatives of their principals, they are considered to be inviolate. An attack upon a bard fulfilling such a role can lead to war.

The bards have a series of competitive festivals throughout the year, culminating in the final and most prestigious contest at a two-week long festival in Darilei after the autumn harvest.