But the characters that are going to cause trouble for other characters are all mine. I guess I'm asking if this is more like a book because in my experience it's very hard to get a roleplay to follow any paced plot without railroading. And with more complicated histories that might apply to other people's characters, like Snowstep, I did ask permission. 

I think everyone (myself included) is thinking we're saying things that aren't being received on the other end. I'm not trying to be contentious, it just feels completely ridiculous, which, as I said, is probably a communication issue.