THERE IS ONLY WAR - COMIC STRIP SHORT - 'MY BAD'

OUT NOW

The short story THE LONG GAMES AT CARCHARIAS

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I've gone and done it again. There were lots of requests for more 'THERE CAN BE ONLY WAR'. The people have spoken. The challenge issued - and it has been answered. I'm nice like that. What I'm really happy with is the growth of the blog. Numbers are significantly going up on all fronts and I would like to continue that trend. If you like what you see here remember that a selection of my works can be found on the left hand side bar. Today's featured story is the doom of the Crimson Consuls Space Marine chapter in THE LONG GAMES AT CARCHARIAS. Thanks to those who have shared on social media and forums, added links, LIKED, FOLLOWED and joined the blog (right hand side bar). Please keep it up. In turn I'll keep putting up quality content worthy of your attention. Now, on with THERE IS ONLY WAR - 'MY BAD'. You can enjoy more HERE.




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"The end began with the 'Revenant Rex'. An interstellar beast. Bad omen of omens. A wanderer."
THE LONG GAMES AT CARCHARIAS

WARHAMMER 40K GALAXY MAP... SORT OF

OUT NOW

The novel Legion of the Damned.

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For today's offering I thought that I would spoil you with a map of the entire Warhammer 40K galaxy. Well... sort of. Consider it a meme-gift for your interest. What would be really cool is if we could spread it around a bit. Feel free to copy and paste it onto Facebook and forums. I borrow art all the time and credit it so I expect no less of you. The Facebook LIKES, Twitter FOLLOWing and blog joining is all progressing well (all located on the right hand side bar). If you would like to keep up to date with Rob Sanders Speculative Fiction then connect to the blog with one or all of those. Conversely, feel free to include a link to the blog on your own site. Like a Tyranid hive fleet or heretical idea - the blog is spreading!



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'"I'm the Scourge," Kersh said. "I was born a warrior. I was engineered to kill."

The novel Legion of the Damned

ZOMBIE SPACE MARINES

OUT NOW

Archaon: The Fall and the Rise


A 12k short story included in the ebook version of Archaon: Everchosen.

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Continuing with my efforts to catch up with and collate relevant material that I've missed on internet - I've surgically extracted a nice review of my short story 'Bastions', featuring the Excoriators Space Marine chapter from Legion of the Damned. The indomitable Xhalax reviewed Bastions on the commentarial tour de force that is site Fifty Shades of Geek. Here's what she had to say:


A silent star-fort is an ominous sign… But when Chaplain Rhaddecai and his Excoriators board the Semper Vigilare to investigate, they find something far more disturbing as the dead rise, human and Space Marine alike. Beset by rotting horrors and trapped in the star-fort’s depths, the Space Marines must find a way to survive, or to die with honour.



"Bastions by Rob Sanders

Chaplain Raddecai and a half squad of Excoriators have travelled to the star-fort Semper Vigilare to censure its commander for a number of infractions he has committed. However, when the Space Marines board the star-fort, they find it disturbingly quiet and seemingly empty. Yet looks can be deceiving.

The story begins at the beginning (not as odd as it sounds, honest), introducing the reader to the main characters as they board the star-fort and the tone is set very early with the derelict hangar bay that only seems to add to the list of charges the Chaplain has brought to bear. There’s a sense of wrongness woven into the prose too, quite artfully as the both the reader and marines know that something is wrong, and given the nature of the charges, they can guess. However, the marines must complete their mission to its conclusion, regardless.

Bastions is a slow burner of a story, which makes it seem longer than some of the other shorts (and it may be, though I’ve not got the actual word count), but that only adds to the oppressive atmosphere. Something is going to happen, and both the characters and the readers are braced for it, but neither knows exactly when everything will be revealed.

My only slight niggle is that I’m never given a complete sense of who the Marines are. They’re a stoic breed, descendants of Dorn, so the exchanges between the characters are to the point in their directness. It’s not until the end, when the scope of the story is shown that you really get to see who these characters truly are, when they are tested in their loyalty.

However, Bastions is a full story told succinctly in the microcosm of flash fiction and well worth a read.

9/10 "


As well as being released individually (found HERE) the short sotry was also anthologies in Space Marines: Angels of Death. Being a reading and reviewing machine, Xhalax also managed to find time to review the other stories contained within. Her reviews of those stories can be found HERE, HERE and HERE. I have added Fifty Shades of Geek to my growing list of sites on the side bar that are part of the scene and worthy of attention. I encourage you to check it out.

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'The Wastes. Its name was well-earned. A blasted, howling wilderness of twilight, blizzard and mind-numbing temperatures, Helmut Horrwitz considered the waste through which he hacked. The squandered humanity. The cost in blood.'

Archaon: The Fall and the Rise .

HORUS HERESY WEEKENDER AND ‘WHICH TRAITOR PRIMARCH ARE YOU?’ TAKE THE TEST

OUT NOW

The Horus Heresy novella The Serpent Beneath

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I will be at the Horus Heresy Weekender this weekend – Saturday 17th May and Sunday 18th May – and am looking forward to the usual great mix of seminars, signings, evening entertainment and, of course, meeting the wonderful attendees. It promises to be a great event. My schedule for the event is as follows:

Saturday 17th May

11.45am-12.45pm – The Throne Room
‘Seditions Gate’ Seminar – I have a story in the anthology and will be discussing it here.

1.45pm-2.45pm – Hall of Scriveners
4.15pm-5.10pm – Hall of Scriveners
Signing – Very happy to sign copies of Seditions Gate and copies of my novels and anthologies

5.30pm-6.30pm – The Throne Room
‘Meet the Creators’ Seminar – An open seminar session for questions and hopefully answers!

I will also be around during the day and attending the evening entertainment for a chat.

Sunday 18th May

12.30pm-1.30pm – The Throne Room
‘After Istvaan’ Seminar – A discussion on What is next for the legions that emerged from the Dropsite Massacre?

2.30pm-3.15pm – The Hall of Scriveners
Signing – Very happy to sign copies of Seditions Gate and copies of my novels and anthologies

I will also be around during the day for a chat.

See you there!






In celebration of all things Horus Heresy – for both attendees and those blog visitors (remember that you can join me on Facebook and / or Twitter on the side bar on the right) – I have created a ‘Which Traitor Primarch Are You?’ test for you. Simply answer the questions below, tot up your score and discover which of the nine traitor primarchs you are. Good luck!



1.) What is your favourite colour?


Black, always black. SCORE 8 POINTS

Red… Red! SCORE 9 POINTS

Whatever fashion dictates. SCORE 4 POINTS

Green. SCORE 5 POINTS

Colours undreamed of. SCORE 2 POINTS

A god-pleasing gold. SCORE 1 POINT

Yellow… Black… Yellow… Black… Perhaps something in a stripe. SCORE 6 POINTS

Who cares for what you can’t see? SCORE 7 POINTS

Your true colours. SCORE 3 POINTS



2.) What was your early life like?


A toxic combination of cruelty and injustice. SCORE 5 POINTS

A nightmarish existence of shadow and survival. SCORE 7 POINTS

Enlightening. SCORE 2 POINTS

Violent and treacherous – gang loyalty was everything. SCORE 8 POINTS

Devout. SCORE 1 POINT

Uptight and untrusting. SCORE 6 POINTS

Brutal – I sold my skills short for the amusement of others. SCORE 9 POINTS

Satisfying – I brought my world back from the brink. SCORE 4 POINTS

The less said about that the better. SCORE 3 POINTS



3.) What would be your weapon of choice?


Poisonous gas. SCORE 5 POINTS

Faith. SCORE 1 POINT

Whatever does the job. SCORE 9 POINTS

The dread of mine enemy. SCORE 7 POINTS

My brother primarchs. SCORE 8 POINTS

Knowledge. SCORE 2 POINTS

A fine blade. SCORE 4 POINTS

A hammer – both tool and weapon of choice. SCORE 6 POINTS

I couldn’t possibly select just one. SCORE 3 POINTS



4.) What is the most important quality in a legionary son?


The will to endure. SCORE 5 POINTS

Excessive force. SCORE 7 POINTS

Pride in their accomplishments. SCORE 4 POINTS

A total disregard for their own or their enemy’s safety. SCORE 9 POINTS

Confidence. SCORE 8 POINTS

Extensive preparation. SCORE 3 POINTS

An open mind. SCORE 2 POINTS

A dedication to something more than himself. SCORE 1 POINT

To yield not. SCORE 6 POINTS



5) You are issued with a master-crafted bolt gun. What do you do with it?


You have little need for it, having greater destructive powers at your disposal. SCORE 2 POINTS

Secure a tactically weak approach to your position with it. SCORE 6 POINTS

Look on it with disdain – you could have crafted better. SCORE 4 POINTS

Wing an enemy with it – you need them alive. SCORE 3 POINTS

Consecrate it. SCORE 1 POINT

Execute an innocent with extreme prejudice. SCORE 7 POINTS

Lay down suppressive fire before an indomitable advance. SCORE 5 POINTS

Make a gift of it to a valued brother. SCORE 8 POINTS

Bludgeon an enemy to death with it. SCORE 9 POINTS



6.) The Dark Mechanicus deliver a warship to be used by your legion. What do you call it?


The Zeta. SCORE 3 POINTS

The Dawnstalker. SCORE 7 POINTS

The Unbreakable. SCORE 6 POINTS

The Infidius. SCORE 1 POINT

The Sektep. SCORE 2 POINTS

The Quietus. SCORE 5 POINTS

The Rapture. SCORE 4 POINTS

The Merciless. SCORE 9 POINTS

The Magna Tyrannis. SCORE 8 POINTS



7.) Early in your relationship, Roboute Guilliman insults you. What do you do?


Promise him Death… SCORE 5 POINTS

Punish his sons for their father’s transgression. SCORE 1 POINTS

Challenge him to a duel. SCORE 4 POINTS

Scold his soul with the power of the warp. SCORE 2 POINTS

Lose it - right there and then. SCORE 7 POINTS

Bide your time - Guilliman will learn of your worth when he least expects it. SCORE 3 POINTS

Grow increasingly cold and bitter towards your brother. SCORE 6 POINTS

Nothing. You are above such trifles. SCORE 8 POINTS

Feed him his own entrails. SCORE 9 POINTS



8.) What is your opinion of the Emperor?


He is a liar. SCORE 1 POINT

I never really knew him. SCORE 3 POINTS

He is a tyrant - like other tyrants, intoxicated with his own power. SCORE 5 POINTS

The glories of his empire will be surpassed. SCORE 4 POINTS

He is unworthy. SCORE 8 POINTS

He’s a fool - fortifying Terra should have been my honour. SCORE 6 POINTS

He will pay for his betrayal in blood. SCORE 9 POINTS

My darkness is beyond his light. SCORE 7 POINTS

He is misguided. SCORE 2 POINTS



9.) How would you attack Terra?


I would slaughter my father’s defenders to the last man. SCORE 9 POINTS

With durability – in the end only one side will emerge the victor. 5 POINTS

In the company of daemons. SCORE 1 POINT

Primarchs’ eyes only. SCORE 3 POINTS

With ease – Dorn’s defences are no match for my skill. SCORE 6 POINTS

The Terrans would come to know the true meaning of terror. SCORE 7 POINTS

By unleashing the depravities of my sons on the population. SCORE 4 POINTS

With all the knowledge and power at my disposal. SCORE 2 POINTS

With numerous allies. SCORE 8 POINTS



10.) Use one word to describe yourself.


Unrivalled. SCORE 4 POINTS

Volatile. SCORE 7 POINTS

Cold. SCORE 6 POINTS

Powerful. SCORE 2 POINTS

Driven. SCORE 8 POINTS

Unknowable. SCORE 3 POINTS

Lethal. SCORE 9 POINTS

Faithful. SCORE 1 POINT

Indomitable. SCORE 5 POINTS




Now add up your score and click on the appropriate link below to find out which traitor primarch you are.

10-16 POINTS

17-25 POINTS

26-35 POINTS

36-45 POINTS

46-55 POINTS

56-64 POINTS

65-74 POINTS

75-83 POINTS

84-90 POINTS


For more fun and games from Rob Sanders Speculative Fiction CLICK HERE

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' “There seems little point in introductions,” Omegon said. “We all know who we are.”
Auguramus seemed vaguely amused.
“I thought you all called yourselves ‘Alpharius’,”he said, his microvox held to his throat.
“Times change,” Omegon replied coldly. '

The Serpent Beneath






You got... ANGRON, THE RED ANGEL!

OUT NOW

The novel THE LEGION OF THE DAMNED


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Why not share the fun? SHARING on Facebook or RETWEETing on Twitter should do the trick. You could, of course, cut and paste the lines below.

I got ANGRON! ‘Which Traitor Primarch Are You?’ Take the Test.
http://rob-sanders.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/horus-heresy-weekender-and-which.html


You got... HORUS LUPERCAL!

OUT NOW

The novel ARCHAON: EVERCHOSEN


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Why not share the fun? SHARING on Facebook or RETWEETing on Twitter should do the trick. You could, of course, cut and paste the lines below.

I got HORUS LUPERCAL! ‘Which Traitor Primarch Are You?’ Take the Test.
http://rob-sanders.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/horus-heresy-weekender-and-which.html

You got... KONRAD CURZE, THE NIGHT HAUNTER!

OUT NOW

The short story THE IRON WITHIN

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Why not share the fun? SHARING on Facebook or RETWEETing on Twitter should do the trick. You could, of course, cut and paste the lines below.

I got KONRAD CURZE! ‘Which Traitor Primarch Are You?’ Take the Test.
http://rob-sanders.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/horus-heresy-weekender-and-which.html

You are... PERTURABO!

OUT NOW

The short story HANDS OF THE EMPEROR in 'The Imperial Truth'


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Why not share the fun? SHARING on Facebook or RETWEETing on Twitter should do the trick. You could, of course, cut and paste the lines below.

I got PERTURABO! ‘Which Traitor Primarch Are You?’ Take the Test.
http://rob-sanders.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/horus-heresy-weekender-and-which.html

You are... MORTARION THE DEATH LORD!

OUT NOW

The short story A DEEPER DARKNESS in 'MARK OF CALTH'

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Why not share the fun? SHARING on Facebook or RETWEETing on Twitter should do the trick. You could, of course, cut and paste the lines below.

I got MORTARION! ‘Which Traitor Primarch Are You?’ Take the Test.
http://rob-sanders.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/horus-heresy-weekender-and-which.html


You are... FULGRIM THE PHOENICIAN!

OUT NOW

The short story ARMY OF ONE.


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Why not share the fun? SHARING on Facebook or RETWEETing on Twitter should do the trick. You could, of course, cut and paste the lines below.

I got FULGRIM! ‘Which Traitor Primarch Are You?’ Take the Test.
http://rob-sanders.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/horus-heresy-weekender-and-which.html

You are... ALPHARIUS or OMEGON!

OUT NOW

The short story DISTANT ECHOES OF OLD NIGHT.


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Why not share the fun? SHARING on Facebook or RETWEETing on Twitter should do the trick. You could, of course, cut and paste the lines below.

I got ALPHARIUS OMEGON! ‘Which Traitor Primarch Are You?’ Take the Test.
http://rob-sanders.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/horus-heresy-weekender-and-which.html

You are... MAGNUS THE RED!

OUT NOW

The novel ATLAS INFERNAL

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Why not share the fun? SHARING on Facebook or RETWEETing on Twitter should do the trick. You could, of course, cut and paste the lines below.

I got MAGNUS THE RED! ‘Which Traitor Primarch Are You?’ Take the Test.
http://rob-sanders.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/horus-heresy-weekender-and-which.html

You are... LORGAR AURELIAN!

OUT NOW

The short story SPIRIT WAR.


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Why not share the fun? SHARING on Facebook or RETWEETing on Twitter should do the trick. You could, of course, cut and paste the lines below. Thanks for playing.

I got LORGAR AURELIAN! ‘Which Traitor Primarch Are You?’ Take the Test.
http://rob-sanders.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/horus-heresy-weekender-and-which.html

QUIZPOCALYPSE AND 'AFTER THE FALL' LAUNCH

OUT NOW

The short story HYPERION in AFTER THE FALL.



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Just a reminder that I will be attending the 'After the Fall' Book Launch at the Derby Film Festival on Thursday 15th May at 7pm. I will be doing a reading, there should be some discussion and I’ll be very happy to sign copies of ‘After the Fall’. My short story 'Hyperion' features in the anthology, set in a future after the failure of technology. ‘After the Fall’ will be available to buy at the event and pre-orders are available from Boo Books now. Check it out HERE.


After the Fall
Technology has changed the world around us over the last century, and promises even more great things for the future. But what does that future look like without the marvels of the machine age? After the fall of technology, what lies ahead for humanity?

Featuring a new story from Adam Roberts, plus tales from Allen Ashley, Mike Chinn, Caren Gussoff, Amelia Mangan, Stephen Palmer, Rob Sanders and many more.

You can find out more about Book Books HERE.

The Derby Film Festival is in full swing, featuring film screenings, previews and discussions with fantastic actors like John Hurt and Phil Daniels. Following the ‘After the Fall’ launch event is a screening of George Miller’s ‘The Road Warrior’. For the full schedule of events click HERE.

I look forward to seeing you there. In the meantime, why don’t you have a go at my Quizpocalypse below and see if popular culture has fully equipped you for the end of the world.

Section 1: Literature


What post-apocalyptic novel won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction?

A) The Passage
B) The Bridge
C) The Crossing
D) The Road


In the comic book series The Walking Dead, where is Deputy Sheriff Rick Grimes from?

A) Nebraska
B) Georgia
C) Alabama
D) Kentucky


What is the name of the apocalyptic 1954 horror fiction novel by Richard Matheson in which Dr. Robert Neville battles a pandemic of vampirism in Los Angeles?

A) I am Legend
B) The Last Man on Earth
C) I am Omega
D) The Omega Man


In the apocalyptic horror novel World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War what nationality is the pandemic’s ‘Patient Zero’?

A) South African
B) Chinese
C) Palestinian
D) North Korean


The novel The Last Man is considered to be the first work of modern apocalyptic fiction, published in 1826. Which author wrote The Last Man?

A) HG Wells
B) Mary Shelley
C) Jules Verne
D) Edgar Allan Poe


Section 2: Gaming


In the survival horror video game The Last of Us, what is responsible for the cannibalistic symptoms that ravage the population of the U.S. ?

A) A virus
B) A fungus
C) A parasite
D) A neurotoxin


In the video game Fallout 3, what is the name of the armoured, quasi-religious organization operating across the ruins of post-war North America?

A) The Sentinels
B) The Iron Guard
C) The Catapharacts
D) The Brotherhood of Steel


Which of the following is not a playable character in the apocalyptic zombie game Left 4 Dead?

A) Francis - a biker
B) Vicky – a paramedic
C) Louis - an IT analyst
D) Bill – a Vietnam veteran


In the post-apocalyptic video game Rage, what is responsible for decimating the Earth?

A) An asteroid
B) An extra-terrestrial virus
C) A comet
D) A mutant strain of flu


What iconic video game simulates nuclear war between the United States and Russia and addresses the player “Greetings Professor Falken… Shall we play a game?”

A) WarGames
B) Missile Command
C) End of Earth
D) Ground Zero


Section 3: Cinema


What post-apocalyptic film was originally inspired by the 1962 French film La Jetee?

A) The Matrix
B) Zardoz
C) Night of the Comet
D) 12 Monkeys


At what age are denizens of the domed city executed in the film Logan’s Run?

A) 31
B) 35
C) 30
D) 29


Who or what is hunting the survivors in the 2011 film The Day?

A) Cannibals
B) Vampires
C) Zombies
D) Mutants


Which of the following is a catchphrase spoken by the T800 - Model 101 Terminator?

A) “You’re terminated, fucker”
B) “There's 215 bones in the human body. That's one.”
C) “Have you seen this boy?”
D) “Come with me if you want to live”


What is the tanker driven by Max Rockatansky carrying in The Road Warrior?

A) Petrol
B) Water
C) Sand
D) Nitro-glycerine



Click HERE for the answers and your rating.

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' "?" I put to the chanter. Seem not poss. '

Hyperion in After the Fall.

QUIZPOCALYPSE - The Answers

OUT NOW


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ANSWERS



Literature


What post-apocalyptic novel won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction?

D) The Road


In the comic book series The Walking Dead, where is Deputy Sheriff Rick Grimes from?

D) Kentucky


What is the name of the apocalyptic 1954 horror fiction novel by Richard Matheson in which Dr. Robert Neville battles a pandemic of vampirism in Los Angeles?

A) I am Legend


In the apocalyptic horror novel World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War what nationality is the pandemic’s ‘Patient Zero’?

B) Chinese


The novel The Last Man is considered to be the first work of modern apocalyptic fiction, published in 1826. Which author wrote The Last Man?

B) Mary Shelley



Gaming


In the survival horror video game The Last of Us, what is responsible for the cannibalistic symptoms that ravage the population of the U.S. ?

B) A fungus



In the video game Fallout 3, what is the name of the armoured, quasi-religious organization operating across the ruins of post-war North America?

D) The Brotherhood of Steel


Which of the following is not a playable character in the apocalyptic zombie game Left 4 Dead?

B) Vicky – a paramedic



In the post-apocalyptic video game Rage, what is responsible for decimating the Earth?

A) An asteroid



What iconic video game simulates nuclear war between the United States and Russia and addresses the player “Greetings Professor Falken… Shall we play a game?”

A) WarGames



Cinema


What post-apocalyptic film was originally inspired by the 1962 French film La Jetee?

D) 12 Monkeys


At what age are denizens of the domed city executed in the film Logan’s Run?

C) 30



Who or what is hunting the survivors in the 2011 film The Day?

A) Cannibals


Which of the following is a catchphrase spoken by the T800 - Model 101 Terminator?

D) “Come with me if you want to live”


What is the tanker driven by Max Rockatansky carrying in The Road Warrior?

C) Sand




How many did you get?



0-5 DEAD MEAT

You've learned little about the coming apocalypse from popular culture and are therefore equipped with few of the strategies for survival such books, films and games simulate. If you are lucky you'll go out in the first cataclysmic wave because you are not built for life at the end of the world!


6-10 SURVIVOR

You've seen enough of the apocalypse on pages and screens to give you a fighting chance at the end of the world. Finding shelter, food, water and weapons in the early days of Armageddon shouldn't be too much of a stretch for you - especially if you gather in like-minded groups. Long term, however, do you really have what it takes to endure in a life after this one?


11-15 ROAD WARRIOR

The apocalypse? What apocalypse? This is what you've been waiting for your whole life. No scrabbling around in the dust and starving for you. No gathering in groups for sustenance and safety. Grab your leathers, saw off your shotgun and appropriate an abandoned sports car. You own the end of the world!





For more fun, check out the GAMES tab above.

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' “What do you want?” Lutzenschlager said.
“What all men want,” the templar told him. “Answers.” ‘
Archaon: Everchosen