Time to move on...

Tweet RPG now has a new website – www.tweetrpg.co.uk! Head over there for all the latest news and content. This blog will remain live for the time being, but merely as an archive of the first year of the Tweet RPG project. Get over to the new site and let me know what you think!

Farewell to Blogger

It's time to say goodbye to Blogger. This has been the home of Tweet RPG for just over a year, and it has done a very good job. However, the time has come to move on – next week, on Wednesday the 1^st of August, the new Tweet RPG website will be unveiled!

Why is Tweet RPG moving? Although Blogger has some really useful features, I've pretty much pushed it to the limitations of what it can do for me. I'm rapidly running out of standalone pages (there's a maximum of 20), the structure of the blog is too rigid for my requirements, and there are issues with editing content that constantly causes issues. Therefore, I've been building a new site for the past six months or so, using the WYSIWYG website designing tool, Weebly.

The new site that I've created isn't a ground-breaking revolution – the main improvement I am looking to bring is easier access to the vast amount of content related to Tweet RPG. I've tried to keep things as simple as possible, as this always seems to be the best approach. The editing/publishing features on Weebly will be a definite improvement for me, which will save a lot of time and frustration. I have to say, I'm quite proud of the site – I hope you like it too!

The current Tweet RPG blog will remain accessible, as there are lots of interesting posts and comments on there, but it will merely be an archive of the first year of the project. I do have plans for future improvements to the new site, so any feedback after it goes live will be greatly appreciated. Keep your eyes peeled on Wednesday the 1^st of August and let me know what you think!

Hack 'N' Slash Hero: Achievements

Press any button to start – first person to vote in Hack 'N' Slash Hero.

@NeoDodge

“Anyone up for a game?” – players who voted in the first vote of Hack 'N' Slash Hero.

@BeefGriller @ChairmanAsheth @DaddyDM @digitalraven @ellgeeess @EmmyOtter @EricMPaq @jordanxn @LandrasGember @lauren_brier @longwhan @NeoDodge @paddyrox @richardstheone @ripcrd @scbarber @the_blind_GM @xtamsynx

Player two has entered the game – people who joined the game halfway through the adventure.

@AquaBreaker @Bazinga_Dragon @BlkbyrnePublish @BlueKae @Bobzilla @CleverlyDmented @CleverlyJailed @Conpulsion @Dice_of_Doom @EyeZao @FreeRangeGamer @heathere3 @holdmykidney @iOSLife @jumpbuttonmag @JunpeiTodoroki @Kevjefferies @mattjl93 @NJAGS13 @Omegakirby @paulonogueira @PortlyGentlemen @raddevon @RedDogGaz @Reductivemedia @sherwoodm @slloyd14 @symatt @teslutz @tullyhansen @xiombarg @Zero_Threat

Co-operative mode – players who took part in a voting session where the decision was unanimous.

@adamdjohno @AetherKnight @BeefGriller @BlueKae @boyandgrue @ChairmanAsheth @chatterboxx69 @DaddyDM @ellgeeess @EmmyOtter @EricMPaq @Feefers @iOSLife @joejoemayer @LandrasGember @lauren_brier @longwhan @m0ok @mattjl93 @naomibump @NED_Podcast @NJAGS13 @Omegakirby @paddyrox @PhilipGHarris @RedDogGaz @richardstheone @ripcrd @scbarber @the_blind_GM @valancy @VeeAhKnee @xtamsynx

Single player campaign – players who were the only person to pick an option in a voting session.

@Bazinga_Dragon @boyandgrue @LandrasGembar @m0ok @Omegakirby @paddyrox @the_blind_GM @therealrpgguy @xtamsynx

Forever alone – the player who was the only person to pick an option in a voting session the most times.

@xtamsynx

Consensus combo – people who voted with the majority in over half of the Hack 'N' Slash Hero voting sessions.

@BeefGriller @boyandgrue @DaddyDM @m0ok @scbarber @valancy

In-game chat: ON – people who narrated/commented on over half of the voting sessions.

@BeefGriller @EricMPaq @LandrasGembar @m0ok

“My turn to play!” - players who made a decision alone through a 'QUICK' or 'OPEN' vote.

@AquaBreaker @BeefGriller @boyandgrue @CleverlyDmented @DaddyDM @Dice_of_Doom @digitalraven @EricMPaq @Feefers @iOSLife @Jennisodes @LandrasGember @lauren_brier @m0ok @PhilipGHarris @the_blind_GM @tractortrap @TriskalJM @VeeAhKnee @xtamsynx

Eye-hand coordination expert – the player who responded first to the most 'QUICK' votes.

@DaddyDM

Game paused – players who missed five or more voting sessions and then returned to the game.

@AlanEWardle @AquaBreaker @Bazinga_Dragon @BlueKae @boyandgrue @ChaoticGM @chatterboxx69 @CleverlyDmented @digitalraven @EmmyOtter @EricMPaq @Feefers @FreeRangeGamer @heathere3 @holdmykidney @Jennisodes @joejoemayer @joekawano @JunpeiTodoroki @Kevjefferies @LandrasGember @m0ok @naomibump @NeoDodge @Omegakirby @paddyrox @PhilipGHarris @PumamanRedux @RedDogGaz @richardstheone @ripcrd @sherwoodm @Temmogen @the_blind_GM @tractortrap @TriskalJM @VeeAhKnee @vodkashok

Gaming addicts – players who voted in over three quarters of the Hack 'N' Slash Hero voting sessions.

@BeefGriller @DaddyDM @EricMPaq @lauren_brier @scbarber @valancy @xtamsynx

Final boss time! - people who joined in with the final voting session of Hack 'N' Slash Hero.

@antiavenger @AquaBreaker @Asako_Soh @BeefGriller @BlueKae @boyandgrue @ChaoticGM @DaddyDM @ellgeeess @EricMPaq @Feefers @FreeRangeGamer @LandrasGember @lauren_brier @longwhan @m0ok @mattjl93 @NJAGS13 @paddyrox @PhilipGHarris @PortlyGentlemen @PumamanRedux @RedDogGaz @Reductivemedia @richardstheone @scbarber @Temmogen @valancy @VeeAhKnee @xiombarg @xtamsynx

“Let's finish this!” - the last person to vote in Hack 'N' Slash Hero.

@lauren_brier

Thank you to everyone who joined in with Hack 'N' Slash Hero – it's been great fun to run this adventure for you, I hope you had lots of fun. If I've made any mistakes with your usernames let me know, and if you want to find out any of your specific stats, I'll see what I can do. Stay tuned for a new adventure in the future!

Hack 'N' Slash Hero: Statistics

Combat Stats

Enemies defeated = 41

Damage inflicted = 1097

Damage sustained = 115

Projectiles fired = 13

Strength of Ages used = 5 (Tornado of Pain x3, Pinpoint Assault x1, Guardian Summon x1)

Times 'AUTO-HEAL' used = 4

Story Stats

Health potions used = 3

Morality choices = 3 (all good)

SPD tested = 27 (success = 14, failure = 13)

DEF tested = 11 (success = 7, failure = 4)

Interactions = 16

Companions gained = Lizzy the lizard, Boomer the Tauk Tauk

Heroes played = Douglas McMichaels (5), Loupy (49), Chen (79), Ironfist (69), Tharn (56), Mookus Maximus (59)

Voting Stats

Total votes = 1841

Lowest number of votes per session = 8 (vote no.91)

Highest number of votes per session = 31 (final vote)

Average number of votes per session = 16

No. of unanimous voting sessions = 2

Open votes = 5

Quick votes = 29

Look out for the Hack 'N' Slash Hero achievements – on the way soon!

Hack 'N' Slash Hero: Epilogue

Raising the crystal orbs of the Strength of Ages aloft, you feel the unadulterated power of the stones swelling within you. Pure white light ripples around your fists, equipping you with the power to end the fight once and for all.

“You won't stop, will you?” says the Afflictor, gripping his trident defiantly. “Not even if it means losing what really matters.”

You stare impassively back at the leader of the dark horde.

“So be it, hero,” snarls the Afflictor.

You launch yourself at your enemy. The Afflictor raises his weapon to block your attack, but the power of the Strength of Ages is unstoppable. Colliding with the creature, you surge upwards into the air, high above the city. Suspended in the sky, you hurl your nemesis upwards into the atmosphere and unleash the full of might of your ethereal powers in a beam of destructive energy.

The Afflictor howls hideously as he is torn apart, obliterated and annihilated, the fragments of his body burning up in a blaze of holy fire As you descend back down, you see the scourge of the Affliction fading from the planet's surface. The men and women in the city below rejoice as they are freed from their parasitical captivity, cheering as your feet touch back down on the ground.

You've done it – you've defeated the Affliction.

You turn to look at Jamie, only to realise that you are alone in your bedroom, the victory fanfare playing tinnily out from the television's speakers.

The front door slams below.

Throwing down the controller, you run to the window. Looking down on the garden below, you see Jamie walking briskly along the path, face screwed up into a thunderous scowl.

Grabbing your jacket, you fly down the stairs, bursting out of the house.

Heart pounding, you run down the street. Jamie is turning the corner...

You've won the battle and completed the quest...

...but now you're really gonna have to fight...

...if you don't want to be a loser.

THE END

Didn't vote for that ending? Want to see how the story could have ended? Read the alternative conclusion to Hack 'N' Slash Hero below!

The crystal orbs of the Strength of Ages fall from your hands, rolling away across the floor, the light fading within them.

The Afflictor cackles with glee.

“You fool,” he chortles with venomous mirth. “Everything you've done has been for nothing – you have failed.”

The grizzled giant slams his trident down, pinning you to the ground and mashing your body to a pulp.

“And now I will show you the wages of your idiocy,” snarls the Afflictor, raising a clawed hand into the air. A cloud of darkness pours from his fingertips, gathering together, images wavering on its surface.

You see countless towns and villages fall under the wrath of the Affliction, brave men and women fighting and dying. The countryside is reduced to a barren wasteland, the land dried up, no sign of anything green or living. The entire planet is blackened, an orb of darkness floating in the void.

“These are your wages,” says the Afflictor. “No one can stand in my way.”

You've stopped listening.

In fact, you don't even care.

You were halfway out the door before the 'game over' lettering appeared on the screen.

Jamie smiles at you as you walk out of the front door and along the path, your heart almost erupting as your love takes your hand.

You've failed the quest, but you're still a winner.

THE END

Thanks for playing Hack 'N' Slash Hero! If you have any comments on the adventure, feel free to send me a tweet or share your thoughts below. I hope you've enjoyed playing the adventure as much as I've enjoyed creating it!

Hack 'N' Slash Hero: Story Summary - Votes 107-115

• You had to work hard to clear the path ahead, so you continue on. You find yourself on a walkway above a courtyard, a large set of doors leading off to the left. Below in the courtyard you see a group of Visgarthians about to be zombified by the Affliction monsters.
• Not wanting to leave the captured men and women to a gruesome fate, you leap down off the walkway, inflicting heavy damage on the fat monster responsible for implanting the evil parasites. Using your fire bomb, you incinerate your enemies as they close in.
• After receiving some medical care from a Visgarthian healer, you head onwards. Exiting the courtyard onto the battlements of the palace, you are faced with a vast horde of snarling beasts. Using your trusty grapple gun, you vault over the onslaught of attackers towards the final tower.
• Using your grapple gun again, you climb the side of the building, negotiating the gunfire from the monsters below. You find a familiar character at the top – the Merchant greets you and offers to help you in the fight.
• Accepting the offer, you enter the palace throne room. The leader of the Affliction, the Afflictor, sits on the throne, grinning viciously. He summons three giant monsters – these guys will not be easy to take down. The Merchant reveals a giant machine gun from his cloak, gunning down the first of the enemies.
• Using your ‘Tornado of Pain’ skill, you pummel the Affliction monsters into bloody mush. The Afflictor is unharmed by the attack, but the ‘Strength of Ages’ crystals begin to glow, unstoppable power welling in your being.
• You move to attack but stop – turning to look behind, you see Jamie standing in your bedroom, waiting for you to put down the video game controller. What’s more important – finishing the quest or focusing on your true love? Head over to Twitter and cast your vote in the last decision of Hack ‘N’ Slash Hero!

Hack 'N' Slash Hero: The Final Recap!

We're so close to the end of Hack 'N' Slash Hero, but that doesn't mean you can't join in with the fun! If you want to have your say in the last few votes, but aren't sure what's going on, here's a super-mega-ultra recap of everything that has transpired in Hack 'N' Slash Hero:

• The realm of Visgarthia is under siege from its dark nemesis, the Affliction. The people of Visgarthia hire the services of 'The Warriors of the Eternal Quest', a band of elite interdimensional heroes, to save them from their peril.
• Our heroes must search out the three 'Strength of Ages', special powers needed to defeat the enemy. However, each of these powers can only be obtained by facing deadly challenges and dangerous monsters.
• Having found the three powers, our heroes now make their way to take on the final challenge; facing off against the leader of the Affliction in the overrun capital city of Visgarthia, where the inhabitants have been transformed into murderous zombies.
• Something strange has occurred throughout this adventure – our heroes have been periodically transported into a strange dimension where the quest is merely some kind of game. Very peculiar...
• Every time a hero is killed in Hack 'N' Slash Hero, a new warrior joins the fight in their place. So far we've had a cowboy, a werewolf, a sky pirate, a steam-man, and a dwarf, and our current hero is a sentient cybernetic potato called Mookus Maximus! Armed with his trusty grapple gun, Mookus has made it to the final tower, the leader of the Affliction waiting at the top.

So there you have it – Hack 'N' Slash Hero in five tidy bullet points! If you want to have your say in how the adventure ends, follow @tw33t_rpg on Twitter and tweet to shape the hero's destiny!

Hack 'N' Slash Hero: Story Summary - Votes 97-106

• A new hero is chosen to face off against Afflicted Tharn – Mookus Maximus, the sentient cybernetic potato (no.59)! In the guise of your new character, you defeat the brainwashed dwarf in combat, breaking the Affliction's power over him and sending him back to the ranks of waiting heroes.
• You decide to question the previously infected Visgarthian, who lies unconscious nearby. He is terrified when he wakes, but you calm him and get some useful info from him.
• Following the man's advice, you head for the eastern wall of the city. Entering through a blown-out section of the battlements, you opt to traverse the rooftops, heading towards the palace at the centre of the city – where you figure you'll find the leader of the Affliction.
• Making your way stealthily over the rooftops, you come to a wide river cutting through the city. You choose to cross via a small boat, but there are a large number of Afflicted Visgarthians on the streets below. You create a distraction, and make it to the boat undetected.
• Rowing across the river, you enter a tunnel in the river wall. Inside, you find a jetty at the side of the tunnel, leading to a locked iron bar door. You leave the boat, break through the locked door, and head up a flight of stairs.
• You find yourself in a small armoury, two Afflicted soldiers also in the room. The brainwashed men attack and heavily injure you, but you manage to defeat them. You search the room and find some useful items, but someone approaches...
• You try to bar the door but an Afflicted Visgarthian berserker crashes through before you can do so. You struggle against the powerful man and are forced to slay him. The doorway leading out of the room appears to be clear – will you head onwards this way or return to the boat and continue along the tunnel? Head over to Twitter, follow @tw33t_rpg, and make your choice!

Hack 'N' Slash Hero: Story Summary - Votes 87-96

• You run for the portal leading back to the Arcalith, the horde of monsters hot on your tail. Two of the creatures grab ahold as you dive through. You appear back in the alternative dimension in your school uniform – the monsters have also travelled through and taken control of some aggressive bullies.
• After decking the bullies and carefully negotiating one of their older brothers, you are transported back to the Arcalith. The Archmaester is battling a monolithic monster – you pitch into the fight, using your 'Guardian Summon' ability to thrash the giant.
• The Archmaester forces you to head for a recently opened portal, leading to the final challenge of your adventure – destroying the leader of The Affliction. You are transported away from the Arcalith as the Archmaester unleashes a wave of self-destructive force to destroy the onslaught of invading monsters.
• You find yourself on the edge of a forest, looking down over a city. Under the darkness of night, you see no lights in the city and smoke arising. Taking the main road down the hill, you head towards the city.
• A figure approaches you on the road. You opt to continue towards the figure – it's a Visgarthian man, but he's been infested by a parasite of The Affliction. The man tries to attack you, so you knock him unconscious. When you try to remove the writhing parasite from the man's head, the black mass leaps onto your body, taking control.
• Tharn has been overtaken by the parasite – we need a new hero to stop him from fulfilling the orders of The Affliction! Choose a hero who you think is best suited to defeat Tharn from the Hack 'N' Slash Hero character list, and tweet your choice to @tw33t_rpg!

Hack 'N' Slash Hero: New ability - Guardian Summon!

Here's all the info on the last of the 'Strength of Ages' abilities – 'Guardian Summon'. The function of this ability is fairly self explanatory – you summon a personage of greater power to fight in your place. Here's how to make use of it:

• You must request help from a Twitter user with over 25,000 followers – hopefully they will respond and help you defeat your enemy
• You can petition multiple users, but I would advise against spamming a particular user repeatedly
• Working as a team is permitted – if you think you know the best person to ask, you may encourage others to do so too
• Make sure you include the Tweet RPG username - @tw33t_rpg – in your request for help
• If no guardian is summoned before the vote ends at 8pm GMT, you will have failed and will face the consequences.

Feel free to tweet me or comment below if you have any questions. Have fun!

Hack 'N' Slash Hero: Mega Recap and Story Summary - Votes 77-86

As we're about to enter the final phase of Hack 'N' Slash Hero, I thought I'd let you have a 'two-for-one' bargain – your weekly story summary and another mega recap! How generous am I? Here's a catch-up from the very beginning of the current adventure:

• Hack 'N' Slash Hero centres around an elite force of interdimensional warriors who are happy to save any world from peril... for a price.
• The realm of Visgarthia has hired the 'Warriors of the Eternal Quest' to rid them of their nemesis, a horde of demonic monsters known as 'The Affliction'.
• Our heroes must find three special abilities, 'The Strength of Ages', so they can defeat this dark enemy – they've just obtained the final of the three, so it's time to face the last chapter of the story...
• Every time one of our heroes is defeated or dies, a new warrior takes their place. The previous hero is transported back to their comrades and waits to see if they will be chosen again for the quest.
• There has been an odd occurrence throughout this adventure; every time one of the 'Strength of Ages' has been obtained, our hero has been transported to a strange alternate dimension, where Hack 'N' Slash Hero is merely a game and the hero is a schoolchild. Very odd...

There's your mega recap – share this with anyone who's interested in joining the game at this late stage – always looking for new players. Now, here's your summary of last week's action:

• You across the river with your Tauk Tauk (who you decide to call Boomer) – the guarrocat doesn't follow you across – phew! You head onwards up the mountain.
• After trekking up the mountain for a long while, Boomer seems to be tiring. You take refuge in a cave, but it turns out to be the lair of a poisonous spine-bear. Using one of your special abilities, you obliterate your opponent.
• After resting in the cave, you continue onwards. Boomer leads you towards what appears to be a dead-end, but it turns out Tauk Tauks can climb up vertical walls! You are ambushed by a winged beast called Dyrunn as you climb, but defeat it and make it to the top.
• Reaching the entrance to a giant cavern, you find the monsters of the Affliction have beaten you to it. You stage a distraction with Boomer's help and kill the monsters. Inside the cavern, you find the final of the 'Strength of Ages', but it's inside a massive stone mouth which demands that you sacrifice a life to obtain it.
• You opt to force a monster into the mouth and thus gain the final ability. A whole horde of dark creatures rushes towards you – will you try out your new ability, or head for the portal that should lead you back to the Arcalith?

Wanna join in the fun? Follow @tw33t_rpg on Twitter and vote to shape the story!

Hack 'N' Slash Hero: New ability - Pinpoint Assault!

It's time to use your latest super skill, 'Pinpoint Assault! This, the second of the 'Strength of Ages' abilities, is all about finding your enemy's weaknesses and exploiting them to maximum affect. It may sound cool, but you're gonna have to do some work if you want to defeat the deadly monsters you face!

Here's how Pinpoint Assault works; the phrase '[ARMOUR BREAK]' has been hidden in six places on this blog or on Twitter. For each of these six weaknesses that you find, you deal -1HP to your opponent(s). However, if multiple players find the same weakness, the damage dealt is doubled i.e. 2 players = 4 points, 3 players = 6. Here's how you submit your findings:

• Tweet this message to me - '#ARMOURBREAK #trpg79'
• Send me a DM containing the link to the page(s) where you find the [ARMOUR BREAK], or the name of the page
• THIS PAGE DOES NOT COUNT!

Try to avoid tweeting me the link or page name, as this will spoil the game for others who haven't had a chance to look yet. You have until 8pm GMT to find as many of the weaknesses as you can, so get to work! Happy adventures!

Hack 'N' Slash Hero: Story Summary - Votes 71-76

• You can't resist having a look inside the hut on the hill. It's a small hunting shack with a trap door in the floor. Smashing open the door, you find a cask of ale – always useful! You head down the hill to catch yourself a Tauk Tauk.
• Creeping slowly towards the herd, you startle a couple of the more alert creatures. You opt to saddle up the defiant runt – it puts up a spirited fight, but you manage to earn its respect. The creature carries you towards the mountain and the final of the Strength of Ages.
• You find your path blocked by a swiftly flowing river. Deciding not to risk a dangerous crossing, you head downstream. You find a safer spot to ford the river, but something spooks your Tauk Tauk. There's a predator nearby – a deadly guarrocat.
• You try to intimidate the creature, which seems to work. The gaurrocat runs off a short way, but still watches from a distance. This could be a good opportunity to cross the river and continue on, but it could also be prudent to slay the predator first...

Want to have your say in how Hack 'N' Slash Hero progresses? Follow @tw33t_rpg and tweet to shape the hero's destiny!

Hack 'N' Slash Hero: Story Summary - Votes 61-70

• Time for a splurge – you spend all your VP on the book. Knowing your enemies stats should be very useful. Leaving the Merchant, you head into the town and are introduced to the chieftain. He informs you that the next of the Strength of Ages is at the top of the nearby mountain – but you'll need to catch a Tauk Tauk to carry you to the peak.
• You decide to investigate the town before you wrangle one of these beasts. Entering the local tavern, you find the clientele to be rather unwelcome – you have to lay one of the locals out before you leave. Heading off to the marketplace, you find a useful looking saddle, but without any currency you'll have to do the trader a favour...
• The trader asks you to find two brothers who have been stealing his goods, and relinquish a valuable elixir from them. You find the shack where the siblings live and knock on the front door. One of the men answers – he's got a vicious-looking dog creature on a chain.
• You attempt to reason with the man, but his brother sneaks up from behind, inflicting a sneak attack on you. Utilising your strength, you knock your assailant out. After a bloody battle, you defeat the other man and his deadly pet.
• Gravely injured, you stumble inside the shack. Searching for something to regain your stamina, you drink from a bottle of dark liquid. Bad move – the toxic fluid doesn't take long to rot your insides, gifting current hero Ironfist with an agonising death.
• A new hero arrives to take Ironfist's place – hammer-wielding dwarf mercenary, Tharn (no.56). Heading back to the marketplace, you explain to the confused trader who you are and what happened to Ironfist. The man is overcome with emotion at your fallen comrade's devotion – he gives you the saddle and the elixir.
• Leaving the town as Visgarthia's sun begins to set, you start hunting down a herd of Tauk Tauk on the plain. As you follow the herd's tracks, you spot a hut on a hilltop nearby – is it worth making a detour to check it out?

What happens next? You decide! Follow@tw33t_rpg and tweet to shape the hero's destiny! 

IMPORTANT INFO: Because it's the Royal Jubilee in the UK this weekend, us Brits have been given the day off work on Monday and Tuesday. Therefore, vote no.70 will stay open until 8am on Wednesday the 6^th of June – no new updates until then. Have a good weekend!

Hack 'N' Slash Hero: Halfway Recap!

We've passed the halfway mark in our current adventure, so I thought I'd post a quick recap for the story so far for new players joining the adventure.

• Hack 'N' Slash Hero features an elite band of inter-dimensional heroes, the 'Warriors of the Eternal Quest', who are available for hire to save worlds in peril
• The realm of Visgarthia has requested their services to save them from being annihilated by their nemesis, the Affliction – a dark horde of destructive monsters
• Our heroes are seeking to obtain the 'Strength of Ages', three special abilities which will enable them to destroy the Affliction
• Crystals that contain these powers are situated in a different locations across Visgarthia – two have already been found, and our current hero Ironfist (a sentient steam-man) is searching in an icy tundra for the final one
• You've found out that the last of the three Strength of Ages is at the top of a nearby mountain, but you need a creature called a 'Tauk Tauk' to carry you up to the peak – will you head off to wrangle yourself one of these creatures, or quickly check out one more area of the local town?

If you have any questions, feel free to comment below or send me a tweet. To join in with the adventure, headover to Twitter and vote to shape the hero's destiny!

Hack 'N' Slash Hero: Story Summary - Votes 51-60

• You take the stairs up towards the portal, nimbly dodging the broken masonry and making it to the top. Walking through the portal, you escape the watery doom of the dungeon, but find yourself in the strange netherworld that you experienced after gaining the first of the Strength of Ages. This time you're in a science classroom – very odd...
• After getting an after-school detention from your angry teacher and having the surreal experience of working alongside your lifelong crush, Jamie, you find yourself transported back into the realm of Visgarthia. Standing once again on the peak of the Arcalith, you see the forces of the Affliction are still attacking the temple, and gaining ground.
• You head inside to help the soldiers who are doggedly holding the corridor at the top of the stairs. After felling one of the attacking monsters, you grab a soldier to help you operate an unmanned gun turret. You continue to hold the monsters off, but more and more keep coming. Spotting some Visgarthian heavy weapons, you grab a rocket launcher, blowing the advancing enemies to pieces.
• Encouraging the Visgarthian soldiers to hold the line for as long as possible, you head to the teleportation chamber. You enter the final pool and are transported to a barren icy wasteland.
• You've no time to take in the scenery, as you realise that you're surrounded – a group of cloaked and hooded figures with flint spears encircle you. The leader gestures that you should kneel, but you stay standing, hoping a show of strength will be effective. The leader attacks, but you defeat him. The man seems impressed by your combat prowess and praises you in a broken accent – maybe you've won him over?
• Deciding to see if the local folk are friendly after all, you allow the men to lead you to their town. Once there, you meet a familiar person – it's the Merchant. The creepy little man explains how he fled the Arcalith and found himself here. He offers you two items from his depleted stocks – a vial of tar-like liquid which will slow down one enemy, and a tattered book which will reveal all your enemy's stats – will you purchase either of these, or save your points?

Meet up with Mr Tweet RPG at the UK Games Expo!

Here's an epic treat for you all you UK-based Tweet RPG players – a chance to meet up with the creator in real life! An underwhelming flutter of applause ripples across the web... Seriously though, if any of you are planning to attend the UK Games Expo in Birmingham, I'd love to chat face to face.

Now firstly let me clarify – I'm only attending the UK Games Expo as a visitor. I don't have a booth and I'm not involved in any of the events or games. However, I thought I'd let you know that I'm there, because it would be cool to break the digital boundaries of Twitter and say hi in person to anyone who plays the game.

I'm going to be at the exhibition on Saturday the 26^th of May, probably for most of the day. If you're gonna be at the event, send me a tweet or comment below, and we'll catch up in the flesh. I'll take lots of pics of anything cool I see, so expect lots of tweets on Saturday!

Hack 'N' Slash Hero: Story Summary - Votes 41-50

• You decide to take the path leading downwards to the left. You find yourself in a small room with three doors, but suddenly you are locked in with no escape - the doors aren't real and a spiked wall is closing in on you! There's a cryptic puzzle on the ground - you solve it in the nick of time, stopping the trap and opening the way forward.
• Carrying on, you enter a large domed room. There's a girl chained to the floor in the centre, begging you to free her. You ask for more info, then decide to help, but something isn't right. You manage to dive out of the way as a giant crab-like monster, a Maag, bursts out of the floor. The girl was a twisted lure, which hangs gruesomely from the creature 's chin.
• Wasting no time, you use your special ability [Tornado of Pain] to slay the beast. Searching through the carcass, you find a piece of shell to use as a shield, but are set upon by some ravenous baby Maags. The battle is tough, but you win.
• With more monsters approaching from the Maag's lair, you head onwards, barring the passage behind with an old portcullis. You descend a ladder and find yourself high in the rafters of a giant chamber. The second Strength of Ages glows in the distance below - there are a few ways to get down, but you choose the risky option of climbing down some hanging chains.
• You leap out into the air, but miss the chains by inches. Lizzy the lizard jumps off to safety as you plummet towards the ground. Chen slams into the unforgiving stone of the chamber floor - his part in the tale is over for now.
• Our new hero appears on the scene - sentient steam-man Ironfist (no.69). You approach the glowing crystal at the centre of the room, but find another puzzle blocking your path. Concentric rings of stone must be turned to reveal a safe pathway forward - rather than rush on, you solve the puzzle and cross the revealed bridge.
• You absorb the power of the second Strength of Ages - two down, one to go! There's no time to celebrate however, as the chamber has begun to flood with water. The portal leading back to the Arcalith is high above - there's a broken staircase leading up, but you could also use the hanging chains, or find something to float on...

Hack 'N' Slash Hero: Story Summary - Votes 31-40

• You choose to start off your attack with some gunfire, taking down one of the monsters, but missing the second. You take him down with hand-to-hand combat. Deciding to help the Visgarthian soldiers, you head onwards.
• After a brief encounter with the Merchant, you make your way down to the entrance of the Arcalith. A fierce battle rages in the hall, with the Archmaester in the midst, fighting a giant beast. You leave him to his foe and help a group soldiers setting up a cannon.
• With the gun ready to fire, you order the soldiers to shoot at the giant beast. Unloading a stream of energy into the creature, you defeat it. A new wave of monsters streams into the Arcalith, but the Archmaester engulfs them in flame. Telling the soldiers to hold the line for as long as possible, you leave the entrance.
• Returning to your search for the Strength of Ages, you choose to visit the jungle first instead of the icy tundra. Once transported to the humid rainforest, you climb a tree to get a better idea of your surroundings.
• Seeing some ruins up ahead, you begin to descend but come face to face with a dangerous looking lizard. Keeping still, you allow the creature to climb onto your shoulder. Taking a shine to the reptile, you let it come along for the ride.
• Heading onwards with 'Lizzy', you enter a clearing with a wooden statue in the centre and stairway leading down into the ruins on the other side. The statue looks ominous, so you skirt around it. The wooden figure turns out to be an angry golem, which suddenly comes to life and attacks. You dodge the golem and rush across the clearing, descending into the ruins.
• Walking along the corridor further into the ruins, you find yourself at a crossroads. There's a pathway leading downwards to the left. The route ahead leads straight on. The path to the right leads upwards. Which way will you go?

Hack 'N' Slash Hero: Story Summary - Votes 21-30

• You don't want to get involved in murder, and therefore attempt to offer the Helmsman a different deal. It turns out the question was a test – the Helmsman informs you of where to go, then promptly disappears. With some difficulty, you pilot the behemoth to your destination.
• The behemoth blends into the landscape, leaving you standing on a bridge leading to another tall tower. You head towards the structure, seeing a glowing light within. However, there is a smaller spire branching off from the tower – you choose to investigate this first.
• At the top of the smaller tower you find a treasure chest guarded by a knight in black armour, wielding a huge Zweihander sword. You manage to sneak to the chest and retrieve a fire bomb, but as you attempt to leave the knight spots you. Engaging him in combat, you slay your foe.
• Entering the main tower, you find a glowing crystal orb on a plinth in the centre. Taking up the first of the Strength of Ages, you absorb its power, learning a new combat skill – the 'Tornado of Pain'.
• You turn to find three enormous enemies blocking your path – you put your new skill to good use, destroying the monsters in a flurry of attacks.
• Stepping through the portal you assume leads back to the Arcalith, you find yourself in a strange dimension – you're playing a game and your mother is telling your to do your homework – very odd indeed. After a bruising altercation with your brother, you return to your game...
• Feeling shaken and with very low health, you find yourself back at the peak of the Arcalith. Hearing the sounds of battle nearby, you head inside to search for healing items. Your search is unsuccessful, and as you head onwards, two scimitar-wielding monsters round the corner.
• You attempt to hide from the monsters but they discover you. Putting up a brave fight, Loupy falls under their swords. A new warrior is summoned to continue the quest – Chen the Sky Pirate (no.79). The two beasts are stunned – how should he attack?

Hack 'N' Slash Hero: New ability - Tornado of Pain!

Congratulations! You've obtained the first of the three 'Strength of Ages' – the 'Tornado of Pain' ability! With this new skill, you're most certainly on your way to defeating the Affliction and saving the realm of Visgarthia.

The 'Tornado of Pain' ability allows you to deal -1HP to your opponents per each tweet containing the #HNSH hashtag over a twelve hour period. Here are the rules that govern this power:

• one point of damage PER TWEET containing the hashtag, not per use of the hashtag
• multiple tweets by individual players are accepted
• I use either the Twitter or Hootsuite search function to count the tweets, so the final number is subject to the inaccuracies of these sites.

The Strength of Ages are super powerful, but with great power comes recharge times! You have to wait for 8 voting sessions until you can use the 'Tornado of Pain' ability again. If you have any questions feel free to get in contact. Keep up the adventuring!

Hack 'N' Slash Hero: Story Summaries - Votes 11-20

• You ask the Archmaester to tell you about the challenges ahead – he explains that the Strength of Ages can only be obtained after facing challenges which will test your limits, in three separate locations across Visgarthia. Then, he promptly leaves.
• After restoring your stamina with a potion, you choose to visit the savannah first, stepping into the pool. You sink into the water, and when you open your eyes you're in an arid desert, heat beating down on you.
• There's a rocky cliff-face nearby and a stone pillar in the distance – the stone pillar appears more interesting. Approaching the pillar, you find it to be a basin engraved with the words, “feed me the water of life.” You figure message must mean blood, so you shed a few drops onto the stone...
• Before you can react, the basin morphs into a tooth-filled mouth, closing around your hand. You manage to get it free, but take some damage. The basin sinks the ground, which begins to shake. The area where you stand suddenly rises up – you are standing on a enormous six-legged behemoth, a wide chunk of living landscape.
• Once you gain your balance, you head towards a tower on the creature's back. Three stone gargoyles with halberds block your path – you decide to approach them. The lead gargoyle informs you that you must confront 'the Helmsman' who guides the behemoth, before challenging you to prove yourself in combat.
• After defeating the gargoyle, its companions allow you to continue on your way. Making your way to the tower, you choose to enter through the main entrance, despite some eerie laughter you hear within. Inside, you find a staircase leading up to a doorway above.
• As you step onto the stairs, the tower itself attacks you, vicious protrusions lashing out at you. Douglas McMichaels fights the tower creature valiantly, but falls in combat – a new hero is summoned to help the people of Visgarthia, the confused but kind werewolf, Loupy (49).
• After fighting off the tower creature, you climb the stairs. On a platform outside the tower, you find the Helmsman, a grizzled figure completely covered by leather bands and a cloak, holding a giant pair of reins which control the behemoth. You opt to approach the Helmsman in a friendly manner, and he makes you an offer – he'll take you to the Strength of Ages, but only if you accept to kill his brother when you arrive. Will you accept, threaten him, or suggest a different deal?