Time to Die: Story Summaries - Votes 48-57

• The employee areas of the apartment building seem the best place to investigate first. You head down the corridor, finding a kitchen and a washroom – you decide to check out the washroom. Inside, you find a locker room with doors leading to male and female shower facilities.
• Checking the lockers, you find some cleaner's overalls. As you don your new-found disguise, a man exits the showers – he's not happy that you're stealing his uniform, and attacks you. Taking a few hits, you manage to subdue him, hiding his unconscious form in a toilet cubical.
• Exiting the washroom, you bump into another cleaner. Maintaining your cool, you chat with the man, moving on as soon as possible. Grabbing a cleaner's trolley and mop, you head out into the plush corridor.
• Entering the lift, you decide to check floor number three – hopefully you'll find Coates' apartment (number 34) on that floor. Checking the numbers on the doors, you work out that you actually need to go to floor six. Sticking with your cleaner disguise, you push your trolley back to the lift.
• You meet a female employee as you arrive on floor six, but she is fooled by your disguise. Finding Martin Coates' apartment, you knock on the door – no answer, so you pick the lock.
• Once inside the apartment, you find Coates dead on the floor. He's been stabbed in the back of the head, the murder weapon being the gold pen you picked up earlier and left at Dr Obadiah's lab. Someone is trying to frame you.
• You jam the door shut and search Coates' body, finding some cash and his air-car key fob. You try to remove the incriminating pen, but it won't budge from the dead man's skull. Thuds resound on the apartment door – the security have been alerted. In a moment of inspiration, you activate the emergency summon function on Coates' air-car – a possible escape route.
• The air-car hovers into view, floating obediently next to the building. Using your gun and a nearby chair, you shatter the window just as the security guards crash through the door. Jumping out into the night sky, you almost miss the car, grasping hold with your fingertips. You struggle onboard and consider your next course of action – dump the car and make a run for it on foot, or use the vehicle to put some distance between you and the crime scene?

Note: there will be no new story updates until January 3^rd 2012 – Vote no.58 will stay open until 8:00am GMT on the above date.

Merry Christmas from Tweet RPG!

Hello Tweet RPG players! Hope you're enjoying playing Time to Die as much as I'm enjoying writing the story. It's quite different to the previous two adventures – not so much combat, more interaction. Always fun to try new things!

With Christmas and New Year approaching, I thought it would be good to take a break from adventuring – I'm sure you'll all be too busy opening presents and consuming copious amounts of food to play Tweet RPG! Plus it will be nice to have a brief rest from daily story updates, as much as I love writing! With that in mind, voting session no.58 (opening Friday 23^rd at 8:00pm GMT) will stay open until Tuesday 3^rd of January, 2012. No new updates from that point until the new year.

I'd like to wish you all a very merry Christmas, and also to thank you for supporting and contributing to Tweet RPG. As a writer, it's so rewarding to have people engaging with your stories and helping to bring something fresh to the creative process. Tweet RPG Warriors, I salute you!  

Time to Die: Story Summaries - Votes 36-47

• You attempt to pick the lock, but are unsuccessful & manage to jam it. Taking the next best option, you ram into the door, forcing it open. Inside you find a messy storeroom filled with junk, as well as a broken food chiller – a strange noise emits from the large container...
• Investigating inside the chiller, you find an injured man, bound by his hands and feet. He begs you to release him. You ask for more info on why the man is imprisoned, but he become agitated. Before you can take action, you feel a shotgun barrel press against the back of your head.
• Your unseen assailant orders you to state what you're doing – you comply, explaining the situation. When you mention your old friend No-Hands, the man with the gun relaxes – he lowers his weapon, explaining that he's captured the injured man to claim a bounty on his head.
• The man agrees to help – he sells you a face-jack (a high-tech mask) and informs you that CygNet have put out a bounty for your capture. You leave his shop, disguised.
• Considering your current leads, you decide to follow up the scrap of metal you found in Dr Obadiah's lab. Popping into a nearby electronics store, you discover that the metal is from a 'flesh scale', high density armour-skin – a cyborg enhancement. You head towards Cannervale, the cyborg district, to find more answers...
• Your path into Cannervale is blocked by a police barricade – there's a riot going on between the authorities and militant cyborgs. You decide not to get involved, opting to check out CygNet Research employee Martin Coates instead of the scrap of metal.
• Coates' dwelling is located in an affluent part of town. Standing in front of his apartment building, you decide to check out a catering van parked at the side. There's a man unloading crates of food – you engage him in conversation, and bluff your way inside the building. Where should you head – towards the apartments or have a better look around the back area?

Time to Die: Story Summaries - Votes 24-35

• Time to get aggressive. You stride across the room and snatch the phone out of Morris' hands, pinning him against the wall. You interrogate the frightened man – he reveals that project 'Odin's Spear' was a military contract for developing advanced targeting methods, but Dr Obadiah was using the budget for his own means. Morris claims to know nothing about Obadiah's assistant...
• Two security guards enter the room. You engage them in hand-to-hand combat and defeat them easily. Leaving the office, you head for the fire escape. A burly guard blocks your path, but you utilise your superior agility to dodge past him.
• Outside on the fire escape gantry, the wind rips into you as air vehicles fly past. You begin to descend down the stairs, but are cut off by more security guards heading upwards. Kicking open a maintenance hatch, you climb onto the outside of the gantry. The guards begin to shake the wire mesh you're clinging onto – you won't be able to hold on much longer...
• With a wild leap, you jump out onto a passing air-car. Tumbling backwards, you grab hold of the rear aerofoil, wrenching your arm viciously. The vehicle plummets to the ground, swerving out of control, but saved from danger by the high-tension safety nets. You stumble off into an alleyway and bandage up your arm.
• Deciding to throw off any potential tail from CygNet Research, you head on in search of a disguise. You contact an old friend, Don 'No-Hands' Gretch, who suggests a guy in the local area who could help out. You make your way to the small rundown shop that No-Hands directed you to, and opt to look round the back for a less obvious entrance. Finding a locked door, you've got a few options: pick the lock, force the door open, or search for another way in?

Time to Die: Gameplay Update

Hello Tweet RPG players! Just a note about a small change to the Time to Die gameplay.

The lock-picking gameplay mechanism has worked really well so far - glad to see everyone enjoying the anagrams! However, I think it will work better if you aren't aware of each other's anagram answers - I want everyone to have a chance to solve the puzzle without accidently seeing the solution.

From now on, if you want to choose a lock-picking option, you must send your anagram answer to me in a direct message, and your actual vote as a tweet. Don't worry if you forget and send your answer as a tweet - this is all for fun! I know it's a bit more complicated than before, but we'll see how it goes.

Hope you're all enjoying the adventure so far, I'm having loads of fun writing it! If you have any comments & suggestions, or feedback on the lock-picking mechanism, feel free to send me a tweet or comment below.

Time to Die: Story Summaries - Votes 12-23

• You decide to ride the monorail across the city to the CygNet Research headquarters. Whilst on the train, you witness an altercation between a young man and a construction worker. Opting to take a back seat, you watch as the worker attempts to assault the youth, only to be repelled by the boy's cyborg body enhancements.
• Exiting the carriage, you head towards the main entrance to the CygNet building. Tricking the receptionist into leaving her desk, you make your way inside. In the precious seconds that the receptionist is gone, you find a visitor pass and a building map in her desk. You also check her console for info on Dr Obadiah & his assistant, making a strange discovery – the scientist hasn't had an assistant for a few years...
• Taking the stairs, you make your way up the building, finding the right floor for Dr Morris' office. As you make your way there, you pass Morris in the corridor. You opt to ignore him for now, taking the chance to uncover some clues in his office whilst he is out of the picture.
• Once inside Dr Morris' office, you find that he's left his console switched on and unprotected. Taking this opportunity, you discover that Dr Obadiah was working on a project codenamed 'Odin's Spear'. The project has recently been discontinued due to lack of positive results, and a man named Martin Coates has been given the funding that was assigned to Obadiah.
• Whilst you're still sitting at the desk, Morris appears in the doorway. You attempt to bluff your way out, stating that you're with tech support – this seems to placate the scientist. He asks for some help with a corrupted file – you offer to take the document away with you, but Morris states that's against company policy.
• You're about to leave when Dr Morris gets suspicious and decides to find out more about your visit, calling the tech department. Your cover's about to be blown – what will you do?

Time to Die: Story Summaries - Votes 1-11

• You re-enter Dr Obadiah's laboratory and engage the young blonde assistant in conversation. You ask her about her relationship with the Doc, which puts her on the defensive – you also discover that Obadiah has had issues with this colleagues.
• Searching the rest of the lab, you find a tiny shred of metal on the bench which housed the device, and a condescending note to the Doc from one of his colleagues in CygNet Research, a man named Dr Morris.
• As you leave the building, you notice the blonde assistant has dropped a gold fountain pen from her bag. You place it in the building's mail slot – she'll find it later.
• You decide to follow up the Dr Morris lead, and head over to a run-down net-cafe to do some research on the scientist.
• You pay for the use of a console and for a rancid but energising cup of coffee. Your web search reveals that Morris is a young and gifted scientist, with no bad press to his name.
• A young man with a gun bursts into the cafe, shouting for everyone to give up their cash and belongings. You decide to take control of the situation, persuading the boy to give you the gun and run away – he doesn't have to get into trouble.
• The youth nervously hands over the weapon and dashes out of the door – hopefully he's learnt his lesson. The customers and the cafe's owner are very grateful – the owner lends you a hand with your search on Dr Morris, finding evidence that the young scientist has been criticised for his cut-throat strategies and willingness to trample those in his path.
• You make your way out of the net-cafe and start out towards the CygNet Research headquarters on the other side of town – but how will you get there?

Time to Die: Results of the Protagonist Name Competition

The Time to Die Character Creation process is now underway! Make sure you get your vote in to shape the abilities of your protagonist.

Just a couple of things to note as we begin. To make it easier for me to collate your votes for the much-loved 'stats and achievements' at the end of the adventure, I'm going to 'favourite' every vote that comes in – it's the easiest way to save all the data. If you've got your notifications set to email you when this happens, I suggest you turn them off if it's going to annoy you!

Secondly, the shortlist of names for your character in Time to Die has now been decided. Here are my three favourites and the people who suggested them:

• Weldon Locke – suggested by @Hyfrydle32
• Jedd Falcon – suggested by @wyrind
• Roy Harvey – suggested by @greglmercer (the name of his great-grandfather, who was a Depression-era detective!)

Thanks to @Ghrinonon, @joe_the_drummer, @PaulFrankHarris, @historc, @joekawano and @EricMPaq for also submitting name suggestions! Everyone will get the opportunity to vote for their favourite of the three names above in the fourth Character Creation vote (8:00pm GMT, 19/11/11).

Keeping on voting!

Time to Die: Character Creation

It's almost time to buckle up your holster, load your trusty handgun and pull your overcoat onto your shoulders – the next Tweet RPG adventure, 'Time to Die', will commence very soon! Before the detective work begins, here's all the info you'll need to shape your protagonist and engage with some new gameplay elements.

The Time to Die Character Creation process will begin on Friday the 18^th of November at 8:00am GMT. Here are the various elements of your character and his inventory that need to be sculpted by you, the player!

Voting Session no.1 (opens at 8:00am GMT, 18/11) – Extra Items

There are two extra items which you may add to your inventory. Both have useful effects during combat:

• Eldritch EagleI Laser-scope – “you never miss with Eldritch.” This item is combined with your Strayer Voight Deadshot pistol, increasing its accuracy – 1,2 = miss, 3,4 = hit (half HP), 5,6 = instant kill.
• NeoTec Cloak v.2.3 – an innovation in personal protection. Can deflect or absorb one attack, negating all damage, but needs time to recharge (one use per battle).

Voting Session no.2 (opens at 8:00pm GMT, 18/11) – Infiltration Skills

As an experienced private detective, you've picked up some useful skills over the years, allowing you to gain access to places and information in some slightly underhand ways. Both of the infiltration skills on offer operate through the same mechanic, but allow for different possibilities.

When offered the choice to use your infiltration skill, you'll be presented with an anagram – to successfully use your skill, at least one player must reply with the correct answer before the next voting session begins. If every reply is correct, expect extra rewards! You'll be given a skill rating regarding how hard the anagram will be to decipher when you are offered the choice to use your skill – the answer may be one word or a phrase. If you fail to provide the correct answer, you'll revert back to the previous set of story choices, and if there is only one alternate option, you'll be forced to go with it. Here are the infiltration skills on offer:

• Hacking Skill – you're an expert at infiltrating all things digital, knowing how to get inside systems and the best ways to sidestep passwords and security protocols.
• Lock-picking Skill – a locked door or safe isn't an obstacle; it's a challenge. All you need is a paper-clip or toothpick and you'll be inside in no time.

Voting Session no.3 (opens at 8:00am GMT, 19/11) – Perks

The perks available in Time to Die provide you with unique story options that would normally be unavailable. However, this doesn't always mean that an option made available by a perk is always the wisest choice – you'll still have to exercise some diligence and keep your wits about you. These are the three perks you may choose from:

• Communication (COM) – you are an excellent wordsmith, able to persuade, charm and ensnare with a few simple phrases. You also have an uncanny ability for reading people – you listen not just to their words, but their bodies and expressions, providing you with unique insights.
• Technology (TECH) – you have an affinity with mechanisms and machinery, being able to assess their qualities and workings almost intuitively. Whether in be a faulty computer terminal or a broken down vehicle, you'll know how to coax it back to life, or make it completely inoperable.
• Physicality (PHY) – you keep your body in perfect shape, exercising regularly and engaging in various types of physical training. As a result, you are nimble and agile, able to vault walls, climb buildings and squeeze through narrow gaps with ease.

Voting Session no.4 (opens at 8:00pm GMT, 19/11) – Stats

In the first two Tweet RPG adventures, you were given the option to vote on how your character's attributes were distributed. However, things are going to be slightly different with Time to Die!

There is going to be a special competition to decide which one player will get to choose the protagonist's stats. It was suggested by Tweet RPG player @landrasgembar that we should have a contest to determine the name of your character, and that's what's going to happen! 

Send in your suggestions by commenting below or sending me a tweet (you can send as many as you want), for the name of the protagonist of Time to Die, and I'll pick my three favourites (competition closes when Character Creation begins). Everyone will vote on which of these three is the best, and the player who submitted the winning name gets to decide the protagonist's stats! Bear in mind; if your submission is deemed to be in bad taste or if it's plagiaristic, I won't consider it. Get thinking of an awesome neo-noir detective name!

There are just a few more things to inform you about your upcoming adventure:

• Your starting inventory will contain: your Strayer Voight Deadshot handgun, 8 bullets, 100 Data Chips (currency), x2 stim vials (combat healing) and x2 aid kits (story healing).
• Your starting HP is 16 – you will be presented with opportunities to increase this during the story.

The Time to Die adventure begins with Character Creation on Friday the 18^th of November at 8:00am GMT – don’t forget to send us your suggestion for the name of the protagonist by commenting below or sending me a tweet!

Time to Die: Prologue

I take the steps two at a time, flying up the decayed staircase into the darkness above. Dirty vibrant colours seep in through the smudged windows of the building. A slamming thud resounds down the stairwell, a door flung shut. Neon flashing across my retinas, I draw my Strayer Voight Deadshot .45 from its holster within my coat, preparing to corner my prey.

I reach the top of the stairs, a solid metal door blocking my path.

End of the line.

I reach for the door handle, slowing my breath, readying myself to burst through. There's probably a cross-hair aimed at the other side of the door. Might get hit, might not. Best to be prepared for the worst, ready to act after that red-hot slug of lead has ripped into my body.

Kicking the door open, I advance onto the rooftop, my body taut, blood thundering through my veins. The cityscape looms above, towers of metal and glass leering down, blocking out the night sky beyond.

My quarry stands on the opposite side of the rooftop, a lithe person dressed in black all-in-one climber-suit. A skull-hugging mask covers their face – could be a man or a woman...

I level my pistol at the person, edging cautiously closer. They don't flinch or move, except for a slight tilt of their head, seeming to express mocking disdain. I move closer.

There's no loud blast of sound or muzzle flash proceeding the projectile. It rips into my body, sending me reeling back, sprawling onto the ground.

My breath rattles around my chest like a solitary data-chip in a beggar's tin. I look down, expecting to see blood spreading out from an entry wound – but there's something else...

The hilt of a dagger protrudes from my torso. I've seen this object before, touched it, held it.

Suddenly, the last piece of the jigsaw puzzle falls into place.

I've been played for a fool.

A few days earlier...

I toss the knife from hand to hand, the weight of it like the familiar hand shake of an old friend.

“Used one of these during the Middle East Nuclear Crisis – mine had a few more notches than this.” I place the weapon back on its ornamental stand.

“Dr Obadiah helped create the phase-technology inside that weapon,” the young woman utters sheepishly. Her white lab-coat is slightly oversized, her blonde hair bunched tightly against her scalp, her shoes clunky and functional. Quite unremarkable.

“That was some breakthrough,” I comment. “Guys used to tell stories of cutting into the armour of tanks with their blades. The gene-lock on mine played up a lot – wouldn't activate because it didn't recognise me. Just ended up using it like a normal knife.”

The girl doesn't reply.

I turn, casting my eyes over the small laboratory. Coils of wire and components of varying size and shape litter the surfaces, intricate tools scattered amongst the mayhem. The chaos of a genius.

“Will he be here soon?” I ask, breaking the silence.

As if in answer to my question, the door creaks open behind me, a small middle-aged man entering the room. His frizzy grey hair frustrates me – unkempt hair makes my skin crawl.

“The device was stolen at some point in the last twenty-four hours,” the short scientist states with no introduction as he bustles about the lab. “No security footage, no obvious signs of a break-in.”

“Can you elaborate on the function of the device?” I ask, repressing the revulsion and annoyance I instantly feel towards this man, unable to draw my eyes away from the flaky skin on his scalp.

“No.”

“I'm sorry but I really think – ”

“It is a black cuboid box,” the scientist interrupts, “each side measuring about two feet across, with a black rubberised plate on top and an instrument panel on one side.”

I smile broadly at the man, then turn and head out of the door. I haven't got time for this kind of nonsense.

- x -

She catches up with me as I walk out into the grimy alleyway.

“Please, I'm sorry – he's under so much stress.”

I turn, looking at the young woman's earnest face. She could be quite pretty with a little effort.

“Why do you care so much?” I ask. “What's in it for you?”

“He's my doctorate advisor. I need him to sign off on my training, and if he has a meltdown before I get that signature...”

“I see.”

“I'll make sure you get half of the payment up front,” she pleads. “And I'll get you two thousand extra.”

“That's a lot of data,” I say. And I need it. Three month's rent to pay and there's always bullets, booze and food to buy.

“It won't be a problem.”

The door opens, Dr Obadiah stepping out. He shuffles over, watching me beadily.

“Is he going to do it?” he asks.

“Yes,” answers the girl, looking into my eyes imploringly. I say nothing, resigning to surrender. It's a well-paying job. I really don't have a choice.

“Good,” he replies, turning and heading off down the alleyway.

“Goodbye to you too,” I mutter under my breath.

“Thank you,” says the girl, smiling with relief.

“Don't worry about it,” I reply. “Let's go back in – I'll need to inspect the lab.”

She leads me back towards the stairs. I feel a twinge of unease but shake it off like an unwanted embrace. What could possibly happen that I haven't seen before? Only time will tell, I guess...

Did you enjoy this prologue? Do you think you can solve the mystery? Comment below and stay tuned for more updates on the next Tweet RPG adventure, 'Time to Die'!

The next Tweet RPG adventure - Time to Die

Logo created by Andrew Joyce

Time for a new adventure! We're heading into the murky neon-soaked depths of Neo-Noir Detective Fiction, with a splash of Cyberpunk for good measure. As the protagonist of 'Time to Die', you'll be searching for clues, chasing leads and trying to stay alive as your investigation takes you across a cut-throat futuristic cityscape – think Blade Runner, Minority Report and Ghost in the Shell in terms of influences and inspiration.

I won't give anything away before the 'Time to Die' prologue is published, but be prepared for some Postmodern story structure. Lots of questions will be raised, but the answers won't be easily found. There may be some things that your character knows that he doesn't share with you – be prepared for a complex protagonist! Remember: it's not the destination that's most important – it's how you get there.

Things will be changed up a little in regards to the gameplay mechanics of this adventure. Firstly, the rules regarding long-range weaponry have been adjusted. After 'King Slayer', I realised that I had made the longbow way too powerful – with a high ATK stat and the 'sharpshooter' perk, you were pretty much unstoppable! Here's how long-range attacks will now work: if you choose to use your gun, one die is rolled - 1-3 = miss, 4,5 = hit (-half HP), 6 = kill. Secondly, there will a special mini-game introduced during 'Time to Die' – more on that at a later date! Lastly, the difficultly of this adventure will be higher than 'King Slayer' and 'Starfall' – don't expect to make it through without negotiating some serious obstacles. You might actually fail this time!

Look out for the 'Time to Die' prologue in the near future!

Starfall Stats and Achievements

Starfall Statistics

Combat Stats

Enemies defeated = 18

Damage inflicted = 225

Damage sustained = 151

Secondary weapons used = Minigun, Scatter Missiles, EMP Blast

Times 'AUTO-HEAL' used = 5

Story Stats

Patch-kits used = 6

Repair-kits used = 2

Morality choices = 7 (good = 5, evil = 2)

Avoided combat = 4 times

SPD tested = 11 times (success = 10, failure = 1)

DEF tested = 4 times (success = 3, failure = 1)

Used Ray = 3 times

Co-operation = 6 times

Key items held = Grak Egg x2, Power Coupling

Voting Stats

Total votes = 643

Lowest number of votes per session = 3 (vote no. 34 & 42)

Highest number of votes per session = 21 (vote no. 79)

Average number of votes per session = 8.14

No. of unanimous voting sessions = 13

Open votes = 4

Quick votes = 5

Starfall Achievements

Engage! – players who took part in the first voting session:

@adamdjohno @CostaIsAwesome @FrakkinNerd @Ghrinonon @HairyDM @historc @jaduffield @joe_the_drummer @lauren_brier @longwhan @Paul_F_Harris @the_blind_GM

Parallel Systems – players who took part in a voting session during which everyone voted for the same option:

@_laurapatricia @adamdjohno @andrewauseon @CostaIsAwesome @FrakkinNerd @Ghrinonon @HairyDM @historc @joe_the_drummer @joekawano @LandrasGembar @lauren_brier @longwhan @NeoDodge @Paul_F_Harris @scottmalt @slloyd14 @the_blind_GM @therealrpgguy @whale4499

Rogue Programme – players who were the only person to make a particular choice during a voting session:

@adamdjohno @CostaIsAwesome @EricMPaq @Farchanter @FrakkinNerd @lauren_brier @longwhan @MitchKilgannon @Paul_F_Harris @TayrnMcBride @therealrpgguy

United Attack - players who voted with the majority in at least three quarters of the voting sessions they participated in:

@_laurapatricia @adamdjohno @andrewauseon @Bobzilla @EmmyOtter @Farchanter @FrakkinNerd @HairyDM @historc @HyenaSpotz @kamsays @LandrasGembar @lauren_brier @longwhan @m0ok @NeoDodge @richardstheone @scottmalt @the_blind_GM @venture19 @whale4499 @wyrind

Radio Chatter – players who commented or narrated during at least half of their votes:

@_laurapatricia @adamdjohno @andrewauseon @Bobzilla @CostaIsAwesome @DaddyDM @EmmyOtter @EricMPaq @Farchanter @FrakkinNerd @greglmercer @HairyDM @joe_the_drummer @joekawano @kamsays @LandrasGembar @m0ok @MitchKilgannon @nataliebinder @NeoDodge @nvbinder @richardstheone @scottmalt @TayrnMcBride @the_blind_GM @therealrpgguy @venture19 @whale4499 @wyrind

Contest Commentator – players who commented or narrated during all of their votes:

@_laurapatricia @andrewauseon @DaddyDM @EmmyOtter @EricMPaq @greglmercer @joekawano @LandrasGembar @m0ok @nataliebinder @NeoDodge @nvbinder @richardstheone @therealrpgguy @venture19 @whale4499 @wyrind

Digital Narrator – the players who commented or narrated the most times:

@Hairy DM @whale4499

Command Line – players who shaped the story through an individual choice, either through an 'OPEN' or 'SPLIT' vote:

@EmmyOtter @FrakkinNerd @historc @joekawano @LandrasGembar @lauren_brier @therealrpgguy @wyrind

New Upgrades – players who joined in after halfway through the story:

@DaddyDM @EricMPaq @Farchanter @greglmercer @kamsays @LandrasGembar @MitchKilgannon @nvbinder @scottmalt @venture19 @wyrind

Fresh Meat! – first new player:

@HyenaSpotz

Hyper-Sleep – players who returned to the story after missing five votes or more:

@adamdjohno @andrewauseon @Bobzilla @CostaIsAwesome @DaddyDM @EmmyOtter @Farchanter @FrakkinNerd @Ghrinonon @historc @joe_the_drummer @joekawano @kamsays @nataliebinder @NeoDodge @nvbinder @scottmalt @slloyd14 @TayrnMcBride @the_blind_GM @therealrpgguy @whale4499

The Showdown – players who voted in the final voting session:

@adamdjohno @Bobzilla @DaddyDM @EmmyOtter @EricMPaq @Ghrinonon @greglmercer @HairyDM @historc @joe_the_drummer @kamsays @LandrasGembar @lauren_brier @longwhan @MitchKilgannon @NeoDodge @nvbinder @Paul_F_Harris @the_blind_GM @therealrpgguy @wyrind

AuGArma Veteran – players who voted in over half of the total voting sessions:

@FrakkinNerd @HairyDM @lauren_brier @longwhan @Paul_F_Harris

Battle Fanatic – the player who voted the most:

@lauren_brier

Thanks to everyone for playing! Look out for info on the next adventure!

Starfall: Story Summaries - Votes 72-79

Moving back behind the law officer, you wait for him to fire. The Grak finishes its frenzied feeding, turning its slavering maw towards you. It springs into action, clacking its beak, its arachnid eyes glinting.

The officer fires, the shot impacting on the creature's torso, but the Grak is already leaping into the air, vicious blades slicing into the law-man. He falls to the ground, doggedly struggling against the infant monster. The gun falls from his hand – you could help, or you could make a run for it...

You grab the firearm and point it towards the Grak. The weapon is heavy in your hands – you've never fired a gun before. With a sudden rush of courage, you step in as close as you dare and pull the trigger. The gun flies up in the air, the recoil taking you by surprise, but your aim is good. The Grak falls to the floor, a puncture wound through its skull.

You're not out of the wood yet, as two more law officers round the corner. They draw their weapons, aiming at you. From their angle, it looks very much like you just gunned down their comrade. Deciding not to antagonise the men, you drop the gun, holding your hands aloft in the surrender.

The officers close in. They recoil as they catch sight of the Grak corpse, but quickly move into action, one man helping his wounded colleague, the other questioning you about the recent events. Before you can answer, the see movement from the rooftops. The remaining thugs have returned – and this time they're packing heat!

The law-men and the thugs both train their firearms on each other. Neither party opens fire but neither wants to back down. You motion to Ray to sneak up on the thugs – the little robot heads off cautiously. You stall for time, offering money to the men on the rooftops. They sneer at your offer, but are suitably distracted as Ray makes his move, charging into the leader of the group, knocking him off the rooftop.

The men open fire, the law officers shooting back at them. As the bullets whistle over your head, you take heroic action, grabbing the wounded man and pulling him to safety in a nearby alleyway. His fellow officers arrive, having dealt with the armed thugs. One of them grabs you roughly, sensing that you were involved with the earlier mayhem. The wounded officer tells him in a weak and rattling voice to let you go. You smile at him, grateful for his kindness.

Heading back out onto the street, you search for Ray. You find the robot behind a large container bin – he's sustained some critical damage from a gun blast. He'll need repairs, but you'll have to sacrifice all your remaining repair supplies.

A deep sense of loyalty welling within, you begin work to restore Ray back to full-functionality. You've almost finished the job, when you realise that the last section of Ray's instruction manual is missing. Placing the fate your little robotic companion in the hands of chance, you a pick a wire to use for the last connection. Ray seems fine, but when he tries to speak, unintelligible gobbledegook issues from his vocal transmitter. Oh well, you'll have to make do.

You head out of Dust City, glad to put the town behind you. As you near your AuGArma, you see a sight that fills you with overwhelming despair. Reylan has already arrived, his silver and blue Arma standing triumphantly next to yours. A voice calls out to you – it's Reylan. He's standing in front of the two machines, beckoning you to come and talk with him. It could be a trap...

Although you're not entirely certain of your opponent's motives, you approach him cautiously. Reylan states that he wants a fair fight – he's going to let you repair, if you're happy to meet him in the valley to the east for the last battle of the preliminary round. He turns away, heading back towards his Arma. You could attack him now, whilst his back is turned...

Honour wins over treachery, and you decide to make it a fair fight, as Reylan suggested. As your opponent heads off, you start the repair work on your Arma – once the new power coupling is in place, everything seems to be in working order. You set off towards the valley. Reylan has kept his word and awaits you within the narrow rocky passage. It's time to fight!

You burst into action, utilising the swiftness of your Arma. Reylan defends skilfully, taking minor damage.

The Ragnarok shudders as Reylan lands a heavy blow – his Arma is built to deal destruction.

Attacking with speed and precision, you inflict a couple of good punches, sending your opponent's Arma reeling.

Reylan responds with a well-timed kick, catching your Arma squarely in its metal chest.

You sweep the Ragnarok's leg into Reylan's Arma, sending the silver & blue machine crashing to the ground.

Firing your 'EMP Blast', you unleash a burst of lightning into your opponent's Arma, stunning Reylan briefly.

Taking advantage of Reylan's immobility, you attack. Your blows land, but aren't too effective.

Relyan manages to coax his Arma back to life. He lashes out at you with an uncoordinated strike.

Your Arma's metal fist strikes your opponent in a blur of motion – your speedy attacks find their mark.

A powerful attack from Reylan sends you sprawling. Warning lights flash across your HUD – you can't take much more.

Reylan brings his secondary weapon online. A long slender cannon extends on his Arma's shoulder – a Rail Gun.

You don't have time to dodge the magnetised projectile. It blasts through the chest of the Ragnarok.

You try to move, but it's no good. The Ragnarok slumps onto the dusty ground, unable to continue the fight.

You have been defeated...

You AuGArma has been destroyed...

But is this the end?

Read the exciting conclusion to Starfall to find out how this chapter ends. This story has finished, but the adventure has only just begun!

Starfall: Epilogue

'CATASTROPHIC FAILURE' warning signs flash across your HUD, bathing the inside of the CommandCore in a hot red glow. You attempt to reroute functionality for one last attack but it’s no use. The Ragnarok sags to the ground, sparks flying from its gears, smoke belching from the gaping hole where the Rail Gun fired through its chest.

Looking up, you see Reylan’s Arma towering over you.

“Good game,” he says over the comm. It doesn’t sound like he’s gloating. Maybe he genuinely enjoyed the challenge you provided.

The words 'SHUTDOWN IMMINENT' flash before you, then disappear as your Arma’s primary CPU ceases to function, plunging the confines of the CommandCore into darkness. You slump against the soft wall, the dull pang of defeat aching through your body. You’ve failed. This is the end.

…No…

You jerk around, search for the source of the eerie voice.

...You have not failed…

“Who’s there?” you inquire into the emptiness.

…This is not the end…

The voice stabs deep into your mind, a burning presence piercing your thoughts. Immense pain erupts, causing you to scream uncontrollably.

…You have only just begun…

Your hands clamp around your skull, trying to stop it from exploding from the pressure building within.

…It is time for you to awaken…

Flashes of blinding light burst onto your screwed-up eyes, pain wrenching at your consciousness. You fall into the obsidian black.

…Time for you to be reborn…

- x -

The camouflaged cam-bots circle above the two AuGArmas like vultures, scavenging tasty morsels of action and excitement, then regurgitating them onto millions of view-screens across the galaxy. A black cloud of smoke snakes upwards from the defeated machine. The other stands resolute, the proud victor.

“He's done it,” narrates the voice of Max Herald. “Reylan has won the round. Many thought he'd never – wait... wait, there's...”

Something isn't right...

The screen switches to an image nearer the ground – everything is shaking, rocks toppling down into the valley. The silver and blue Arma struggles to keep its balance as the ground vibrates.

A giant crack fissures along the centre of the valley, the brown dusty surface splitting jaggedly in two. The image zooms in on the defeated Arma – it's at the centre of the opening rift.

“Ladies and gentleman, something terrible has happened,” says Herald, managing to keep his cool, but only just. “We're dispatching a pick-up team to rescue the stranded pilot, but... what the-”

A huge dark mass bursts out of the ground, great chunks of sediment crashing against the sides of the valley. The silver and blue AuGArma turns and begins to run, engaging its boosters.

The image cuts down low again. The mass, a dark crystalline substance that seems to be somehow fluid, wraps itself around the broken Arma. Dust and pebbles fly up against the lens, obscuring the view. The substance is fusing with the Arma – the machine appears to be rising up, standing upright once again. The dented and cracked metal of its surface its almost completely covered by the dark mass, long protrusions sprouting from the back of the machine. The Arma, or what was the Arma, rears its head back. The mass covering its face opens like a mouth – it emits a screeching howl, the sound rising unbearably-

The screen goes black.

Families to turn each other, puzzled and afraid.

The image reappears, showing the white deck of the Hyparrion cruiser. Max Herald stands before the viewers, his composure well and truly broken.

“We're experiencing some, uh, technical difficulties,” he splutters sheepishly. “If you could bear with us...”

A warning alert begins to flash across the screens and consoles around the deck, a high-pitched whooping sound echoing around the ship. Herald forgets his role and runs to the nearest console, the cam-bot following.

An object has left the atmosphere of Gantian VII and is head straight for the HFCG cruiser. An ugly red dot blinks on the console screen, moving with extreme speed.

The camera cuts to a view outside the space vessel. The military frigate has manoeuvred into a defensive position, its gun batteries and energy turrets swivelling around to face the unidentified object. The cam-bot slides to the side, trying to catch a glimpse of the action.

A black dot appears in the distance, zooming inexorably towards the ships.

The ProTek frigate opens fire, raining down a hail of projectiles and laser beams upon the unidentified object, swallowing it up within a wave of destructive force.

A flash of light slashes across the centre of the military vessel, splitting its hull in two. Explosions ripple across its surface as the unidentified craft surges through the wreckage – the camera zooms, showing a dark humanoid shape flying through space, pure white energy sending it hurling onwards towards the Hyparrion cruiser.

The HFCG ship engages evasive manoeuvres, but it's too late. The black object slams into the ship. A giant blade of light erupts from its arm, lacerating the hull of the vessel. The humanoid 'thing' explodes into movement, flying off out into space...

- x -

Inside the cruiser, blasts shatter the pristine white walls and floors, tongues of fire spitting out into the corridors. Crew members rush frantically back and forth, screaming orders and information to each other. Max Herald picks himself up off the floor groggily, touching an oozing gash on his forehead. In midst the chaos, he stumbles over to a comm station, pushing the operator roughly aside. He taps in a code.

“Sir, it's Herald.”

He listens.

“Yes, but...”

Irate shouting issues from the comm.

“But, sir – I think we've found it.”

Silence.

“We've finally found it.”

To be continued...

Thank you to all the Tweet RPG players for shaping this adventure!