Alas - may things ease up for you soon. Also, please accept this Ominous Crab I saw on the social medias: https://twitter.com/SomeChrisT.../1354556047843848194

If you haven't defeated the Real Life Beasties by Monday I may shift things along a step to be sure the game in general doesn't die at the outset. I really like the way both players' character concepts interact (you can both get mangled/eaten by each others' monstrous manifestations without breaking narrative metaphors, it's great!) and am hopeful we'll build something good here.

The music that The Lens included with the game’s opening post is wonderful, not to mention period appropriate, but for some reason, every time I stop to visualize the lighthouse and the lonely island beneath a clouded sky, this song keeps coming to mind. It just seems to be a good match for the mood.

https://youtu.be/3zzuWh1Fcn0

Firstly, let me just say I am so pleased someone's listening to the background music/appreciates my framing epherma. I'd do it anyway but that stated liking means a lot somehow. Relatedly, I'll advise in the vaguest fashion that the game'd likely work best viewed with a lightish RPoL theme and darkish background, but then again pretty much anything is better than the RPoL default scheme, so there's that.

Of the song I deinitely see what you mean, particularly the start - if I were better at tracking down a suitable Cape Breton air on fiddle I would honestly have been more likely to favour that than a working song - and the rough vocals. A pity it's about the wrong end of the world, it's got the right soft, nocturnal roll to its pseudo-shantiness.

Eh, planning to get a longish post in maybe tonight but more likely tomorrow, since apparently being extremely full of noodles blurs out my thinking power. An introduction to the boatshed (hello boatshed) and some chatter between the locals that might make it easier for Hetty to weigh in, stocktaking not being the most inspiring of left leads.

All right, so.

I've seen you both logging in this week, so I believe there is still some interest in this project, but clearly things aren't working out as they stand. Now, generally I need 2-3 posts a week to keep a plural-player game ticking over, as mentioned in the original interest check, so that's what my posts here are calibrated for in terms of hooks/content/assumptions made to shift story.

I think I could drop down to a solo-like expectation of 1 post a week, but with 2 players and the way my brain works I'd need you both to commit to a day to give this thing attention. Would this be your preferred soloution?

Alternatively, is there something I can do to raise the post rate my side? Other ideas? If anyone's been logging in trying to work up the courage to say they're bored/not finding the promise of what they were after in the first three posts and would like to quit gracefully I can be PM'd & I won't shout, wail at you, curse your thresholds etc. I must put out a plea for communication, though, since I'm willing to put in the work, but there's only a point to that if it's something people actually want to do...

My week ended up being more chaotic than I anticipated. The arctic weather that descended this way ended up killing my power for two days, and ultimately forced me to spend one night in a hotel. We may be in for another jolt of snow tomorrow, but hopefully, once it passes, we’ll be through the very worst of it. Part of the issue simply rests with the fact that my region of the world isn’t accustomed to dealing with this sort of thing. Even a light spritzing of snow is enough to cause things to shut down.

So, that’s the reason I’ve been on the quiet side. In a few days, I’m hopeful I’ll be back in the swing of things.

Same, work has been really busy these past couple weeks. :( I am here and down to continue, absolutely. I am going to have a post up tomorrow for sure and I shall endeavor to be more active.

@Matt - Alas, I wasn't aware the entirety of the forces of nature had combined against your ability to post. I hope they stop it soon and that you'll not have flood problems after the snow. Be well, I can surely wait.

@Hetty - encouraged to hear you're still about! Would a 1/week posting schedule be more realistic for what you can do at present, do you think? If so, I find that having a dedicated regular slot or "deadline" helps mark out a space for a creative endeavour that might otherwise get filled up with the general jumble of little things free time tends to get filled up with. Alternatively, would it help if posts were a bit shorter, taking up less time and attention relative to motion? I don't want participation to get to feel like a chore or generally not fun, that's not what games are for at all at all.

That might work best for me at this time, yes. I am hoping that things settle soon!

The former suggestion, or both?

If the former, how about Saturday for your posting day, would hat work?

...or that, even, though feel free to wear a hat whilst posting.

Just setting out a little lead for Hetty if desired/to show we're alive. Matt's player is definitely tied up for a while yet, as I'm pretty sure he's in Texas and I am very worried about all the hot climate people in Texas right now.

Hope Matt's player and their loved ones are staying safe and healthy and warm. :(

On a happier note, it's my mom's birthday weekend so I will try to post today but it may be tomorrow.

I don't think anyone's had consistent power down there for days, so hopefully not being here means that any power going is being used to heat things/cook warm food rather than play games on the internet. Fingers crossed.

May your mother have some pleasing food and weather for her natal day, and the trying/notice are both appreciated. [nod]

Thanks very much for the well wishes. I’m sincerely appreciative.

After several days without power and water, and being forced to flee first to a hotel, then to a relative’s home, things are slowly transitioning back to some semblance of normalcy. My power was restored yesterday afternoon and water service resumed this morning. We’re still under a boil water notice in my area, but I’ve got plenty of bottled water and sufficient kitchen equipment to boil any more that’s needed. I count myself blessed. There are still people in the city without electricity and running water.

All that to say, I’m going to do my best to catch up on games in the next day or so. Focusing on a few well told stories will honestly be therapeutic for me, I believe.

Thanks for saving me a chair at the table. :)

Ah! Matt! So good to hear from you! I am so very glad you are not frozen. Also that you'll be about a bit, but mostly that you are not an icicle. Huzzah!

You are very welcome. ^_^

Maybe we need to get a well-trained friend like this to help with Merigg's culinary issues: https://twitter.com/hottestsin.../1364675163078369282

I’m actually a little stunned that the egg turned out as well as it did, all things considered.

Sorry for the delay! Things totally got away from me between birthday time and work but I have posted. :)

Much appreciated! I'm giving you two a chance for your characters to talk/introduce themselves undistracted(/almost unchaperoned, gosh) a moment, though am willing to shift things along if you don't think they'll have anything to say.

and yes, Chef Friend is very dextrous and exceedingly well-trained, I kind of want one.

In reply to Matthew Hall (msg # 25):

https://www.tiktok.com/@_soggy...v2&is_copy_url=1 <- pancakes!!

I hope the things in view from the back door are reasonably obvious, but I'm creating this message to remind myself/have something to nudge when I make an actual map of the place. For the general architecture, picture something like Kirbuster Farm Museum's kitchen, only with the walls nicely plastered and whitewashed on the inside and an iron stove inset flush to the far left (south-ish) wall rather than a freestanding hearth. Also less light from above, since the roof space has been given over to the upstairs you'll see in a wee bit.

Incidentally, about how tall are our victims noble protagonists?


Oh, and I feel I should share this twitter account I found whilst wandering t'internet yesterday, I love how vaguely harassed but determined this guy sounds: https://twitter.com/mayorsilent?lang=en


edit: cottage map uploaded in the Group 1 slot. Huzzah!

much later edit, still on the theme of updated pictures: A reference for Pest's colouration, since I uploaded a more generic 'small seagull' picture to the gallery for maximum utility even when it does come through.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:10, Thu 15 Apr 2021.

Very cool!

And I am doing okay, got my first vaccine shot today!

That's great news! By complete co-incidence I get mine this afternoon; we can be immunity buddies.

Do you have an approximate idea of how tall Hetty is, by the way? Remembering that either/both of you can put visually noticeable things in your description slots if you like.

On the theme of describing, if I doodled some of the monsters likely to show up around here that're less spoiler-y and more just ambient idiots, would you two like to see or would that be a distraction/spoiler/mood-breaking the mystery? I mean, I have reduced a PC to hyperventilating on the ground with literal bedsheet ghosts and given a someone RL nightmares with a zombie chicken before, I'm pretty good at describing things in a spooky fashion, but once you show someone a picture that's what things look like, y'know?

I imagine her as petite. Also I should be able to have a post up tomorrow after work!

Ack, the day got away from me. But tomorrow is Saturday, yay, so I will definitely have a post. :)

All posts appreciated, truly. Meanwhile, I think this might be what happens when maritime cultists get hold of municipal funding, maybe.

Also, I got "Ancient Evil" on one of those personality quiz things currently popular in certain areas of the internet, and feel obscurely pleased. 's like stylistic consistency or something.