Annals of Sand

Every dated line below is from one complete game, played from the first season to the last by the game’s own steward. The settlement was called Arinu.

4000 BCEHigh water

Ennadda of the house of Bizu and the band settled by the river and called the place Arinu.

One turn is one season

Four seasons make a year, and the age is a thousand years long. High water is for building. Sowing and harvest want every field gang. At low water caravans and raiders both travel.

Post your hands. Every field, yard and landing takes gangs of workers, and there are never enough.
Build on any plot. Its ground and what stands beside it decide what it is worth.
Let the season pass. It takes two minutes, or you jump to its end.

A field’s sheet in the game: its ground, how far it is from the houses, and a column each for one, two and three gangs with what they would raise. — A field. More gangs raise more grain, each one less than the last.

4000 BCELow water

On the dead man by the canal, Ennadda ruled: “Give up the killer.”

Then the council sits

Each season opens with what happened and what needs your word: a dead man by the canal, fires across the river, an heir who has wrecked a boat. There are 123 such matters. You answer, and the houses remember how you ruled.

A matter at court in the game: three spearmen and a watchtower, and the captain of the watch asking whether the men should stand watch tonight. — A matter for the ruler. Two answers, and both cost something.

3997 BCELow water

The ard was taken up.

Learned by doing

Nothing is researched from a menu. A people who work fields come to the ard, and a people with boats come to the sail. Neighbours teach what they already know. There are 73 crafts and customs to learn, and each has its time.

Basin canals4000 BCE
The ard4000 BCE
The updraft kiln4000 BCE
Copper smelting3955 BCE
The loom3885 BCE
Plough oxen3865 BCE
The sail3620 BCE
Tokens and tallies3560 BCE
The wheel3520 BCE
Signs on clay3280 BCE
Tin bronze3080 BCE
Kingship3060 BCE

Twelve of the 73, with the year the wider world has each.

3993 BCESowing

A trade pact was sworn with Nesh.

Other peoples on the river

Scouts draw the land around you: stone, timber, copper, salt, and other settlements. Trade with them, swear pacts, marry into their houses, or go to war.

Caravans carry what you have for what you lack.
The muster is every house’s spears: free, untrained, and missed in the fields.
The guard is paid, trained and kept, and eats a double ration.

The map of the land around the settlement, drawn as a fresco: the river, hills, neighbours under pact, and camps of our own. — The land of Arinu, forty years in.

3964 BCEHigh water

The river failed.

The river decides the year

Each year’s flood sets the harvest on the black earth. Canals carry the water inland, dikes hold it off the houses, and a full granary is what stands between a failed river and a hungry spring.

FailedThe river has barely risen. The black earth is dry and cracked. This will be a hungry year.
LowThe river rose late and low. The harvest will be thin.
GoodThe river rose as it should. The black earth is under water.
HighThe river is high. Low houses and stores on the black earth stand in water.
GreatThe river is higher than anyone remembers. Everything low is under water.

3958 BCEHigh water

Banu of the house of Bizu took the seat.

No ruler lasts

You are each ruler in turn. When one dies the houses that matter put forward their own, and you choose who takes the seal. In this game 35 rulers from two houses held it.

House of Bizu, farmers: 2 rulers
House of Ibmil, boatmen: 33 rulers

Ennadda the Founder4000 to 3958 BCE. House of Bizu. Died aged 62.
Banu the Far-Seeing3958 to 3924 BCE. House of Bizu. Died aged 58.
Dizu the Strong3924 to 3892 BCE. House of Ibmil. Died aged 53.
Umil the Builder3892 to 3869 BCE. House of Ibmil. Died aged 53.
Pumu the Strong3869 to 3836 BCE. House of Ibmil. Died aged 53.
Mezu the Founder3836 to 3815 BCE. House of Ibmil. Died aged 51.

All 35 rulers

Ruler	House	Ruled, BCE	Years	How it ended
Ennadda the Founder	Bizu	4000 to 3958	42	Died aged 62
Banu the Far-Seeing	Bizu	3958 to 3924	34	Died aged 58
Dizu the Strong	Ibmil	3924 to 3892	32	Died aged 53
Umil the Builder	Ibmil	3892 to 3869	23	Died aged 53
Pumu the Strong	Ibmil	3869 to 3836	33	Died aged 53
Mezu the Founder	Ibmil	3836 to 3815	21	Died aged 51
Nanna the Strong	Ibmil	3815 to 3787	28	Died aged 57
Ilzid the Strong	Ibmil	3787 to 3768	19	Died aged 47
Atab the Strong	Ibmil	3768 to 3739	29	Died aged 49
Anna the Strong	Ibmil	3739 to 3714	25	Died aged 55
Bidan the Strong	Ibmil	3714 to 3678	36	Died aged 56
Gizu the Beloved	Ibmil	3678 to 3650	28	Died aged 53
Gibi the Strong	Ibmil	3650 to 3616	34	Died aged 58
Ebi the Beloved	Ibmil	3616 to 3586	30	Died aged 57
Puru the Strong	Ibmil	3586 to 3556	30	Died aged 53
Shamat the Strong	Ibmil	3556 to 3514	42	Died aged 61
Shadan the Beloved	Ibmil	3514 to 3485	29	Died aged 57
Ildan the Beloved	Ibmil	3485 to 3458	27	Died aged 49
Ubar the Strong	Ibmil	3458 to 3426	32	Died aged 56
Task the Beloved	Ibmil	3426 to 3396	30	Died aged 54
Kalum the Strong	Ibmil	3396 to 3366	30	Died aged 56
Ukru the Strong	Ibmil	3366 to 3338	28	Died aged 51
Udda the Strong	Ibmil	3338 to 3304	34	Died aged 55
Urrash the Strong	Ibmil	3304 to 3279	25	Died aged 54
Suli the Strong	Ibmil	3279 to 3247	32	Died aged 51
Bimil the Provider	Ibmil	3247 to 3218	29	Died aged 59
Gilu the Beloved	Ibmil	3218 to 3194	24	Died aged 56
Tali the Strong	Ibmil	3194 to 3176	18	Died aged 50
Susk the Strong	Ibmil	3176 to 3144	32	Died aged 55
Anbi the Strong	Ibmil	3144 to 3118	26	Died aged 51
Tashu the Strong	Ibmil	3118 to 3097	21	Died aged 53
Ilmat the Beloved	Ibmil	3097 to 3071	26	Died aged 54
Butum the Strong	Ibmil	3071 to 3039	32	Died aged 51
Egal the Strong	Ibmil	3039 to 3011	28	Died aged 51
Girash the Strong	Ibmil	3011 to 3000	11	Ruling when the age ended