Pampa Mia

The land

Gently rolling ground under open grass steppe, 393 m up; far from any sea; cold and dry.

Cover

open grass steppe

Elevation

393 m

Relief

gently rolling ground

The sea

far from any sea

Climate

cold and dry

The patch

about 1.85 km north to south and 1.49 km across; 1,853 m north to south, 1,493 m east to west, 2.77 km²

Centre

36.3417°S 67.3083°W

What the land offers a builder

Of this land: reed, earth, turf, stone, hide, bone, cloth, rope, fire. The land allows: ground, stilts.

Now

Overcast and mild here, 22:55 local, late spring, full dark.

The wild

Animals here this month: puma (denning), guanaco (feeding), huemul (calving), eagle (nesting), giant anteater (feeding), rhea (feeding).

This season: the herds calving.

The lay of the land

• The low knoll (knoll): a rounded rise with a clear view across the surrounding patch
• The north hill (hill): a broad shoulder of high ground dry underfoot after rain

What stands here

THE REED HUT — on the low knoll. House-sized, about 6 m. Reed, earth, stone. On the ground.
"A stout reed hut roofed with earth, set low out of the wind with a central hearth"
A roof of earth atop the top: pitched low to shed rain and heavy gusts. A hearth of stone inside the centre: set with flat stones to hold the embers through the night. A doorway of reed facing the south: fitted with a heavy latch on the leeward side. A storage rack of reed along the north side, hung with dry provisions, cordage, and spare gear.
Of this land: reed, earth, stone.

THE STOREHOUSE — beside the north hill. Small, about 4 m. Reed, rope. On the ground.
"A tight-walled reed storehouse raised clear of the damp with a rope roof"
A roof of rope atop the top: weighted with flat stones against high winds. A shelves of reed inside the inside: lined with dry bins for winter stores.
Of this land: reed, rope.

The story, as Julian V. tells it

Of the place

• Black Ford Watch was laid out by Julian Vance, who marked the low knoll first and set the reed hut to face out of the prevailing weather.

Of the people

• They keep a dry stack of fuel beside the reed hut and share the first meal at the hearth with any traveller who crosses the low knoll. (heard when a people lives here)
• Before winter sets in they check the lashings and stones of the storehouse and sing the names of the first four who came. (heard when a people lives here)

The people

THE MIAFOLK — herders, hunters, and gardeners, seasonal, in bands.
Names from their own tongue. They hold the rain sacred.
They keep: rain songs; age groups; burial in the fire; the feast of the rains' return; gifts to strangers; winter camps away.
They like earth, hide, clear, and wildebeest. They dislike frost, fog, and stone. Open to strangers.
Their words: hearth yonmo, river or sea ama, winter or the rains yontu, the dead amu, home samole, stranger una, feast amenga, child songodi, old one usetu, the place Kimemana, the beast takunsa, the sky dodamu.
Their herd: antelope.
Founders: four. Lore: 2 lines.

Ways

herding, hunting, gardening

Settlement

seasonal

Kinship

bands

Marriage

either

Naming

given names

To strangers

open

They hold sacred

the rain

They keep

rain songs; age groups; burial in the fire; the feast of the rains' return; gifts to strangers; winter camps away

They like

earth, hide, clear and wildebeest

They dislike

frost, fog and stone

Their herd

antelope, 1 head

Founders

4

Counted

4 named folk, a household of 0, 0 born here, 0 died here

Founded

6 November 2026

Their words

hearth yonmo, river or sea ama, winter or the rains yontu, the dead amu, home samole, stranger una, feast amenga, child songodi, old one usetu, the place Kimemana, the beast takunsa, the sky dodamu.

Their lore

• They keep a dry stack of fuel beside the reed hut and share the first meal at the hearth with any traveller who crosses the low knoll.
• Before winter sets in they check the lashings and stones of the storehouse and sing the names of the first four who came.

Named folk

The chronicle

Every line is a record the land wrote; the names in quotes are the owner's words. What the chronicle does not say did not happen.

Year 1

The annals: 1 calving seen; 1 founders; 1 people founded; 3 tracks; 1 ways changed.

• Late spring, the first year of Pampa Mia: the eagle left a line of prints over the spot.
• Late spring, the first year of Pampa Mia: the ways of the people changed: name. kept
• Late spring, the first year of Black Ford Watch: wild ass tracks across the spot.
• Late spring, the first year of Black Ford Watch: antelope calving on the north hill.
• Late spring, the first year of Black Ford Watch: wild ass tracks across the spot.
• Late spring, the first year of Black Ford Watch: four came to Black Ford Watch and lit the hearth. The net-mender "Asongdengi", the fire-keeper "Ongo", the keeper of the store "Ame", the keeper of the shrine "Salu". kept
• Late spring, the first year of Black Ford Watch: Julian Vance called a people to Black Ford Watch: the people of Black Ford Watch. kept

Here now

the net-mender "Asongdengi" (folk) · the fire-keeper "Ongo" (folk) · the keeper of the store "Ame" (folk) · the keeper of the shrine "Salu" (folk)