Yours. We have players round the clock. Scenes are often offered asynchronously, allowing participation from all time zones. Reach out on channels and find other players who are around when you are. The Ares interface allows scenes to be paused and resumed very easily, making it reasonably easy to play with people in other time zones, too.
At its simplest, the distinction boils down to: Does your character already have a significant social connection to the town, by birth or long-standing residence? You're a townie. No? You're an outsider. That's it: The distinction makes almost no difference in actual game play. Find more tips on the Getting Started page.
Short version? Yes. Long version: Read more in Suggested Concepts.
We are not a World of Darkness game. We are urban horror, but not just horror, and not always so urban, either. We are fantasy, but (mostly) orc-free. We are contemporary, except when dreams say we are not. Gray Harbor's theme is inspired by various writers and media over time; we live where things move at the edge of your vision, where there are things in the mist, and sometimes, people disappear.
We often like Gray Harbor to a horror buffet. You can pick and choose how dark and gritty you want your game to be. You do this by picking what scenes and storylines to join. Some players like it dark and awful, others prefer a light sprinkle of doom on their slice of life stories. We are a consent-based game -- no one gets to kill or seriously injure your character without consulting you the player first. Scenes that come with high risk of gore, violence, or injury should be labelled as such. Communication is key. We are not a pvp game.
The underlying plot of Gray Harbor is one of conflict between two families, and the effect this conflict has had on the town over almost two hundred years. But the thin spot existed before there were Addingtons or Baxters, and it will still be here when they are gone. Some people now know what happened back in the day, but the status quo persists: The Veil is still torn, and the monsters are still there. Ours is a story of survival against very bad odds; of persistence and perseverance, of lighting candles in the darkness.
It's never too late to get in on the action. Ours is a communal story; no one has all the information and the complete picture of any given plotline. Talking to others is key to inclusion. There are multiple storylines running at any given time, with more or less overlap to one another. If one plotline feels irrelevant to your character, there will be others to pursue.
Yes! Within the framework of Gray Harbor's theme and mechanics you can do pretty much what you want; and given the fluid nature of dreams, that's a lot. Take a peek at the Player Plots guide. The ultra-short version: Just don't make any large, dramatic changes to the community and town without consulting staff. Apart from that, knock yourself out, have a party, do all the things.