The Archons built a world and then abandoned it. What they left behind — crumbling god-machines, irradiated wastelands, factions fighting over the ruins of a dead empire — is the Blood Sands.

Journal of the Blood Sands: Issue One is a system-light setting zine that lays out Xanathos: a post-apocalyptic science-fantasy sandbox inspired by John Carter, Heavy Metal, and Thundarr the Barbarian. The focus here is the world itself — its history, its factions, its pressure points — so you can drop it into any old-school or science-fantasy campaign and start playing.

Inside you’ll find:

• The rise and fall of the Silver Empire, the technological civilization that shattered itself and left a radioactive desert in its wake
• Factions, clans, and decaying city-states locked in uneasy stalemate — none powerful enough to win, all dangerous enough to matter
• Memorable NPCs, strange technologies, and open-ended plot hooks that put the next move in the referee’s hands

The Archons are gone. Their machines are failing. The Blood Sands don’t care who you were — only what you dare to become.

24-page saddle-stitched zine. System-light. Compatible with OSE and most old-school systems.