Lightning in a Bottle (OOC)

Yup yup. Will do. Feeling for the right moment. Looks like I accidentally jumped the gun a little bit.

Sometimes people have delays, we can't always wait for everyone to be finished before we move on. If need be people can continue to roleplay what their characters were doing before events that we have made happen, but in this case we could also keep talking while we move towards your suspected source.

Remember Fiction First, we can't do anything with a roll sans fiction. Show us what your character is doing and we can see if a roll is called for. If you want the GM to 'Make a Move' all you to do to trigger that is 'Give them a Golden Opportunity', you don't need to roll low (and trying for a random 6- would be highly frowned upon in the type of PbtA where you get XP on a miss:), all you need to do is do something risky.

So far it appears that the creatures can only be in the mist (and maybe affect the area just visible at the edge of the mist?) so if you stay in your safe bubble you are unlikely to meet them. Your bubble 'moves' slow, so you can easily walk out of it, you believe it will catch up. (Actually the mist is always thinning from your location, so if you left the others behind at a run, they would not see a circle moving after you, they would see the mist slowly reform around them; and, when you stopped, you would not see the circle move to you, you would see the mist dissipate away from you. Basic physics.)

So now that I'm running ahead in the mist hoping to find something scary, this is a risky move or a good opportunity? How do I make something happen?

Does this mean that if we don't follow Gronk, we'll be swallowed up by the mist?

You can't really make something happen. You can make your character do things. Then the world (AKA vagueGM) will react to it. if it's something risky enough, it will need a roll of sorts and depending on that roll something happens.

If you want the story to go somewhere specific, then you can explain your idea here in OOC and we can discuss it. Vague really likes it when players let them know which direction they want to go in, and takes that into account. We can work towards a common story idea. (And then have it all go horribly bad when the dice speak :P)

Uh, yeah. It is centered on Gronk, if you are not near him you are in the mist.

In the fiction. You drive the fiction through your character's actions and decisions, and but interacting with the world and the other characters.

What are you wanting to have happen? You can talk to us in OCC and we can try to steer the story to fit what you want, but try to shape that based on the current fiction and what is going on in the story. Use the facts that are established, establish your own facts based on them, and communicate clearly.

Based on my own assumptions —which could be wrong, so tell me— I have been trying to keep Gronk safe (in the gaps where you were not posting). He only has 1 HP, so any injury will kill him, so I figured he would be slightly cautious. HP damage is not generally the first option I reach for when consequences are needed, but sometimes they are the most appropriate response to what is happening (and there is potential for physical damage from the mist infection) and if you put yourself in a situation where that is the only outcome and roll less than a 10 you might have to take HP damage... which Gronk can't afford to do.

Let us know what you are trying to achieve —in- and out of character— and we will try to help you get there.

So I'm hoping to encounter the beast in the mist. I know we've met the mistlings, but I want to meet the big one. I was hoping that running towards it outside of the protective circle would at least let me encounter it.

You have done nothing in the fiction to lead up to that, nor to set up for that. In the mist it is in control, so 'encountering' it would probably spell your doom (weak as you are).

As much as possible we need to try treat the situation as 'real' and consider what our characters would do if they were real people in their real world. Would your character, after spending time to set up protections and containment, knowing they are on death's door, and that there are things out there that scare everyone else and have, apparently, killed people in gruesome ways... would they run out recklessly 'just hoping' that thing they meet is the boss and not another servant, and that the boss does not just squish them like a bug?

If you really think they would risk their life this way, then we can Roll the Die of Fate (a single 1d6 with low being bad and high not being that bad (considering the situation)). On a 6 you can run right into the big one and have a chance to do one thing before it turns its attention upon you.

The other players are doing a thing, though. You have been absent or slow posting for much of that. Do you think it is fair for you to suddenly 'jump to the end', wiping out their scene building? If you really want to continue, then they will all get to say if their characters are with Gronk or if he outran them and is alone in his fate. They might want to continue the scene we have constructed.

What say you?

Okay, so realistically my character would probably try to stop Gronk and I think she has the strength and stamina to do so, however, far be it from me to stand in @GameMaster's way if he wants his character to run ahead and potentially meet a quick and gruesome end. ...Unless some pvp action would amuse/interest you, @GameMaster? I usually try to avoid it, and I'm not sure what vagueGM's policy is on such matters.

Did we decide the mist-dispelling power was centered on Gronk or on something that he is carrying? If it's centered on an object, Ezme could try to wrestle it from Gronk (since he isn't really using it anyway!) and allow him to continue on his solo quest without it. That would be a realistic option, as she's starting to wonder if he might be working with the enemy to lure people into the woods and abandon them (so she would consequently worry less about his personal safety).

I think my preference would be, if Gronk continues on his own to meet the evil master, that I not be able to see what happens to him behind the scenes. This mysterious build up has been fun and I'd rather not ruin the surprise of what's at the end. But, you know, no big deal either way. I'm flexible. :)

No 'PvP' allowed, but CvC is allowed with the enthusiastic consent of all players involved.

If the players both agree, we can look to the mechanics to resolve conflicts between their characters, but if one player wants something another player can not use the game mechanics to stop them from make a choice or taking an action, that is an out-of-game discussion (just like we are naturally having already:).

That does mean that karabooo gets to decide what Ezme does, and whether that is to try to stop Gronk. But GameMaster gets to decide what Gronk does, and that could be to 'get away without needing to deal with Ezme' (think X-Card), maybe we just say that he was too far head and the mist swallowed him? If our actions make sense in the fiction it should not be too hard to explain how they came about. If an action does not make sense in the fiction you simply can't choose to do that, this is what 'Fiction First' means.
We did not decide. Ultimately that is up to Gronk, but it sounded like it was about him, not an item?
Viable, if all players are into that.
That does seem like a logical conclusion to his actions. But the PCs are not the bad guys in this game. If GameMaster wants to keep playing Gronk then he needs to not be trying to get the rest in trouble even if his foolhardy action might incidentally do so.
Agreed. We have all spent time crafting this situation and it would not be fair to have a 'bored' player wreck it for everyone. If Gronk chooses to continue on this course we have to have a conversation and work out what happens in private, this site can do that, but I seldom use the features since I am not a fan of such things.

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If we don't hear from @GameMaster tomorrow I will PM them and decide how to move passed this blocker.
Actually I am worried enough that I am sending a well-being-check PM now, if I don't hear back I may see if anyone knows them and can check on them.

Excellent, that is the best response we could hear. Understanding each others' position is good.

Hopefully you will be happy with the speed things are going, the more you contribute to the story the more you can guide the pacing of how and when things happen.

This is largely why made the ritual effect move slowly enough that you could easily get out of it. (This and physics.:)

There has also been the question of whether it is centered on you or on something you have. That is up to you. If it is centered on an object then you can leave it somewhere strategic and move out of it, or give it someone else to control. The downside of it being an object is that you could lose it or lose control of it. There are always risks.

Ah that explains a lot, @GameMaster. No worries! We can get things back on track quite easily. :)

It mostly seemed like a strange course of action for Gronk (to me at least). With Gonk's sacrifice to clear the mist, I think it has set us up to deal with this on our terms instead of this 'boss'. (Or at least with some advantage)

We've never really worked with a plot timer based on real life time. It all depends on what's happening in the game. No need to rush to the end as far as I'm concerned.

I'm okay with the mist effect centered on a ritual object Gronk is carrying. I think that would have the most utility. Any ideas for what that object might be?

The vial of bottled mist?
Or the knife?
Can be anything really. It's your ritual :D you tell us.

Or even just a stone from the bridge? Solid stone seems antithesis to mist?

Something tells me that Ezme is going to one day regret giving Roald this advice....