Vexed to Nightmare

As told by:

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As told by:
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As told by:
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As told by:
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Plot Type: Macro Plot

Something is meddling with the fabric of all things, teasing threads out of the tapestry of what is. Seams split, edges fray. Everything stands at risk of being unraveled.

It begins with ripples felt across the veil underpinning reality, and in sudden, widespread spates of strange happenings…


Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.

Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out
When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi
Troubles my sight: a waste of desert sand;
A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
Wind shadows of the indignant desert birds.

The darkness drops again but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

-William Butler Yeats

This plot will revolve around the machinations of secret and powerful magical forces and the bizarre, dangerous side-effects of their agenda.

Somewhere in South America, an ancient cult of warlocks with prehistoric ties to dark magic has found a way to assault the very heavens. In order to do that, they must increase humanity's belief in the dark aspects of the supernatural and spread fear on a massive scale.

It begins with a spate of unusual happenings, felt even in the Tri-Cities area…

Ongoing mini-arc: There's an App for That

Additional GMs:

There are a few people running things that play off of this plot, but they're overseeing pretty much everything to do with their own arcs. They are:

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Participants

RP Hooks

Here are some ways you can get involved:

  • Ask John! Magical characters may have an obvious 'in,' but I aim to create mini-arcs within the main plot that showcase the strengths of many different kinds of characters, so if you aren't sure how to get involved, let me know.
  • Keep an eye out for one of the many one-off scenes likely to be happening. There are also multiple mini-arcs under different GMs.
  • If you think you have an idea for a one-off scene or digression mini-plot that would play well off of this one, feel free to ping me.

Plot Logs

September 26, 2018: The Lazarus Effect

As demons invade New York City, Red Robin and Zatanna Zatara resolve some important bits of unfinished business before expending their energies on the battles to come - bringing Emily Montrose back to life.

(permalink: log:8040 | tags: inferno red_robin vexed zatanna_zatara | posted: 26 Sep 2018 07:27)

August 16, 2018: The Emerald Key

After patching up the metaphysical damage wrought upon Hell's Kitchen, John Constantine and Zatanna Zatara encounter Loki, the God of Mischief, intent on finishing some unfinished business…and starting a new one.

(permalink: log:7824 | tags: john_constantine know_my_name loki vexed zatanna_zatara | posted: 17 Aug 2018 02:45)

July 03, 2018: Light in the Tunnel

Zatanna Zatara checks on Tim Drake in the aftermath of the Hell's Kitchen disaster, and gives him some much needed good news about a months-long problem.

(permalink: log:7613 | tags: know_my_name red_robin vexed zatanna_zatara | posted: 03 Jul 2018 23:56)

July 01, 2018: Blood, Ashes and Tears

At the wake of their own efforts to help with the Hell's Kitchen disaster, John Constantine and Zatanna Zatara manage to convene in a brief break to update one another of the state of things, and come to a decision regarding the Blood of Isis and Emily Montrose's body.

(permalink: log:7598 | tags: john_constantine know_my_name vexed zatanna_zatara | posted: 02 Jul 2018 02:59)

March 15, 2018: Mutant Tiger Tank, Was It?

After Frenzy's attack, John Constantine is the next one to pay Jessica Jones a visit. He's concerned, and he's ready to move forward on their longest running case, when she's ready.

(permalink: log:7122 | tags: jessica_jones john_constantine know_my_name tnp vexed | posted: 20 Mar 2018 05:51)

February 21, 2018: Magic & Magnets

Tony agrees to help Emma with her little "tattoo" problem and tell her about his misadventures. In the middle of the night. Because that's what normal people do.

(permalink: log:7139 | tags: greb iron_man vexed white_queen | posted: 22 Mar 2018 16:36)

January 11, 2018: The Things He Cannot Say

Backscene to December. Tim Drake and Zatanna Zatara catch up on latest case developments as well as revisit lingering personal issues that will probably not go away any time soon.

(permalink: log:6779 | tags: red_robin rotdb vexed zatanna_zatara | posted: 12 Jan 2018 21:51)

December 14, 2017: #Delegation

Spoiler, still disturbed by her vision, comes to check on one Jessica Jones. To check…and to find out how she can help.

(permalink: log:6663 | tags: jessica_jones rodb spoiler vexed | posted: 14 Dec 2017 06:17)

December 07, 2017: Back in the Loop

Red Robin and Wonder Girl stop by Alias Investigations to get Jessica Jones caught up on the iDoL case once more.

(permalink: log:6636 | tags: jessica_jones red_robin rodb vexed wonder_girl | posted: 08 Dec 2017 05:37)

November 25, 2017: Promises, Lies and Reassurances

Immediately after Part of the Problem, Red Robin and Spoiler question each other.

(permalink: log:6570 | tags: red_robin spoiler vexed | posted: 29 Nov 2017 04:30)

November 25, 2017: Part of The Problem

Red Robin enlists the help of his long-time compatriot and ex-girlfriend, Spoiler, to help deal with whatever problem has arisen in his personal laboratory following the events of Rescuing Emily Montrose. (Constantine GMing)

(permalink: log:6555 | tags: constantine red_robin spoiler vexed | posted: 27 Nov 2017 05:20)

November 15, 2017: Rescuing Emily Montrose

With the means to communicate with Emily Montrose's undecaying corpse finally at their disposal (thanks to Zatanna's bizarre adventure in an occult film containing a long-kept secret), Team Getting Shit Done discovers a means to retrieve the woman's lost psyche — and a dark, malign force slowly gathering power, secreted away within the depths of astral space. (Constantine GMing.)

(permalink: log:6515 | tags: dr._jane_foster jessica_jones john_constantine red_robin vexed white_queen winter_solder zatanna_zatara | posted: 17 Nov 2017 23:42)

November 08, 2017: Soul Invasion

Takes place immediately after All for Charity!. After ensuring that Conner Kent and Caitlin Fairchild are safely in Titans Tower, Zatanna Zatara returns to Brooklyn and to a worried John Constantine, still mired in the very serious business of preventing the apocalypse.

(permalink: log:6461 | tags: john_constantine vexed zatanna_zatara | posted: 08 Nov 2017 20:15)

October 30, 2017: Crossing The Abyss

John's efforts to convince one of his 'colleagues' to lend him an artifact necessary to his ongoing investigations fail, and said colleague demands a favor for the exchange instead. Fulfilling a promise made offhandedly months ago, he brings Zatanna along to meet said colleague — none other than the infamous occultist, Aleister Crowley, who wants a tyet, otherwise known as a Knot of Isis. Preliminary digging by John and Zee turns up a wealth of possible leads involving wild pieces of American history, including such characters as Jack Parsons, co-founder of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory; L. Ron Hubbard, the inventor of Scientology; and a woman named Marjorie Cameron, an artist and actress romantically involved with Jack Parsons and a woman rumored to be a Scarlet Woman — the name bestowed on certain of Crowley's female companions whom he believed to be avatars of Babalon.

…But it's not until they decide to view some of Cameron's films, one of which is rumored to be 'dangerous,' that things get really weird.

Zatanna disappears into a dream within a dream to do what few magicians can ever claim they've done by crossing the Abyss of her own soul, while a paranoid John Constantine dangles Crowley over a chute into the hell that so desperately wants to claim him, waiting for her return.

They meant to retrieve the tyet in exchange for something called the Keshanti Key, an object that might have let them peer into the memories of Emily Montrose in her strange stasis…but what Zatanna comes back with could be a key to something else altogether.

All that's certain is that Zee may never be the same again.

(permalink: log:6413 | tags: john_constantine vexed zatanna_zatara | posted: 30 Oct 2017 07:55)

October 26, 2017: Site Survey

Now aware that the problem at the Checkerbrick is magical in nature, Jessica Jones calls John Constantine to come get his take. She's hoping he can fix it, but nothing's ever that simple.

(permalink: log:6416 | tags: jessica_jones john_constantine pivpi vexed | posted: 31 Oct 2017 04:37)

October 01, 2017: With A Little Help From...A Perfect Stranger?!

Intent to return a due library book in the mystical archives beneath Studio 54, Zatanna Zatara finds herself in hot water with one of the establishment's ancient Librarians, only to be helped out by a mysterious green-eyed stranger named after the Norse God of Mischief.

(permalink: log:6302 | tags: loki vexed zatanna_zatara | posted: 04 Oct 2017 07:46)

September 29, 2017: With A Little Help From Her Friends II

After her afternoon with Peter Parker, Zatanna Zatara pops by Tim Drake's converted townhouse in Gotham.

(permalink: log:6301 | tags: mizizi_na_nyasi red_robin vexed zatanna_zatara | posted: 04 Oct 2017 03:03)

September 29, 2017: With A Little Help From Her Friends

Peter Parker and Zatanna Zatara catch up on the serious business of ignoring the fact that they're college students with normal problems on top of their atypical ones.

(permalink: log:6288 | tags: mizizi_na_nyasi spider-man vexed zatanna_zatara | posted: 29 Sep 2017 21:29)

September 23, 2017: Probably Bad

Emma Frost finds out that one of the members of the Hellfire Club, Shane Templeton (IV) seems to be missing in action. This would typically be beneath her notice — he's of middling importance at best — but for the fact that several other more prominent members of her establishment have invested in something he was planning to do, and they've gotten…anxious…over his sudden radio silence.

What she finds in his apartment is Probably Bad.

(Constantine GMing.)

(permalink: log:6265 | tags: john_constantine vexed white_queen | posted: 23 Sep 2017 08:50)

September 14, 2017: The Resurrection of a Murdered God

To save Azalea's life and to find a resolution to her God-problem, John Constantine, Tony Stark and Zatanna Zatara conduct a highly experimental ritual that takes them into the Astral Realm, which results in the rebirth of a new world and the resurrection of a more malleable Xiuhnel. The costs for tampering with the will of the gods may be dire, and the consequences staggeringly high, but there is no time to reflect or regret when a changed Azalea informs the three that they need to go to Wakanda right away to assist Bucky Barnes.

(permalink: log:6245 | tags: iron_man john_constantine the_dark_devil vexed zatanna_zatara | posted: 14 Sep 2017 22:13)

August 30, 2017: Crossed Wires

Jessica Jones calls Captain America to ask a favor, thinking he hasn't come to Wakanda for political reasons. Instead, becomes the bearer of bad tidings yet again when she learns the the Man with the Star Spangled Plan didn't even know about Bucky's latest plight.

(permalink: log:6224 | tags: captain_america jessica_jones mizizi_na_nyasi vexed | posted: 07 Sep 2017 03:54)

August 30, 2017: Help Me, Toby Wan Kenobi

Jessica Jones calls Tony Stark so she can ask him to go to Tamoachan on Azalea Kingston's behalf.

(permalink: log:6223 | tags: iron_man jessica_jones mizizi_na_nyasi vexed | posted: 07 Sep 2017 03:34)

August 29, 2017: Bones of the Forgotten King

Jessica Jones calls Azalea Kingston to explain why she won't be at the final battle in Tamoachan. The detective gets considerably more than she bargained for.

(permalink: log:6222 | tags: jessica_jones mizizi_na_nyasi the_dark_devil vexed | posted: 07 Sep 2017 03:21)

August 29, 2017: Divide and Conquer

Jessica Jones and Zatanna Zatara catch each other up on their cases.

(permalink: log:6217 | tags: jessica_jones mizizi_na_nyasi vexed zatanna_zatara | posted: 06 Sep 2017 04:35)

August 24, 2017: The Lies We Tell Ourselves

John Constantine and Zatanna Zatara finally have a face-to-face with Xiuhnel the Sky Serpent, and arrangements are made in an attempt to fix Azalea Kingston's problem once and for all.

(permalink: log:6176 | tags: john_constantine the_dark_devil vexed zatanna_zatara | posted: 25 Aug 2017 04:52)

July 29, 2017: Shellfish Behavior

The trial everyone is calling The Trial of Two Centuries continues, but the world waits for no legal proceeding, and there are still a lot of things simmering that need attention from Team Magic. John and Zatanna catch up about a few of them — like Auspex International's still-not-exactly-dead founder Emily Montrose, Azalea Kingston's minor god problem, the capricious whims of some reincarnated individual called The Khepri and what she 'told' John about the obsidian hellblade, early discussions about the Hellfire Club and Emma Frost's role in the days to come, an order of Not Really Knights that Zee and Jessica tangled with in the Pacific Northwest and their loony rituals, and a field trip to visit Aleister Crowley. Highlights: some guy who called himself The Boner. (Hint: It's not John.)

(permalink: log:6111 | tags: john_constantine vexed zatanna_zatara | posted: 29 Jul 2017 09:43)

July 22, 2017: Secrets of a Murdered God

Jessica Jones finally pays Azalea Kingston a visit. She comes expecting only to provide comfort. She leaves with answers— big answers.

(permalink: log:6099 | tags: jessica_jones the_dark_devil vexed | posted: 23 Jul 2017 04:17)

July 21, 2017: Knights of Almeus

Zatanna Zatara and Jessica Jones use her teleportation powers to take a detour to Sunside Heights in Oregon, where they hope to find some answers on Azalea's behalf.

(permalink: log:6094 | tags: jessica_jones vexed zatanna_zatara | posted: 22 Jul 2017 05:29)

July 12, 2017: To Be Too Much

Jessica Jones and Zatanna Zatara meet up for lunch to catch up.

(permalink: log:6066 | tags: jessica_jones malice vexed zatanna_zatara | posted: 13 Jul 2017 05:44)

July 06, 2017: Caught in the Zipper

John Constantine and Jane Foster get summoned to Ritchie's lab to deal with a grad student's terrible mistake.

(permalink: log:6043 | tags: dr._jane_foster john_constantine vexed | posted: 06 Jul 2017 06:27)

June 11, 2017: The Ties That Bind

Things have gotten complicated for John Constantine over the last seven months. With threats on all sides and the interior of his life expanding to allow for an alarming amount of investment in other people, what's a Hellblazer to do?

Indulge in a lengthy internal monologue. Obviously.

(permalink: log:5948 | tags: john_constantine malice vexed | posted: 12 Jun 2017 07:43)

June 10, 2017: Fears of a Murdered God

T'challa gives Jessica Jones a brief moment of his time. She gets her chance to ask him why he wanted Xihunel to feel fear. But what was he doing at the Federal Courthouse, exactly?

(permalink: log:5941 | tags: black_panther jessica_jones malice vexed | posted: 10 Jun 2017 08:44)

June 07, 2017: Back to the Grind

Zatanna Zatara visits Tim Drake at the Nest, bringing sustenance and news. After catching up on their to-do lists, Zatanna updates him on Bucky's trial and Tim recruits her to join the Titans.

(permalink: log:5929 | tags: malice red_robin vexed zatanna_zatara | posted: 08 Jun 2017 06:43)

June 05, 2017: Gravity is Increasing On Me

Shaken from her encounters in the center of Stark Towers and rattled by other recent events, Jessica Jones shows up on Trish's balcony. She means only to admit to the fact that she wrecked the car, but as ever, Trish Walker is more than capable of getting to the heart of difficult matters.

(permalink: log:5940 | tags: jessica_jones malice starkrevelations trish-walker vexed | posted: 10 Jun 2017 07:38)

June 04, 2017: Columbia Girls

Rusalka Stojespal seeks advice from another powered person, Jessica Jones, and in the process gains a potential friend.

(permalink: log:5911 | tags: jessica_jones malice rusalka_stojespal vexed | posted: 04 Jun 2017 22:30)

June 01, 2017: Appropriate Dinner Time Conversation

Jessica Jones brings Red Robin the server drives recovered from Auspex International. The two detectives spend an evening doing what they do best: sorting through information and bouncing ideas off of one another.

(permalink: log:5883 | tags: jessica_jones red_robin vexed | posted: 02 Jun 2017 05:17)

May 26, 2017: AKA Proprioception

Jessica Jones heads to Nelson & Murdock to pay Matt an overdue visit. They have a quiet discussion about their abilities, shared cases, their mutual ties to IGH…and one budding superhero.

(permalink: log:5865 | tags: daredevil jessica_jones malice tigers_flies vexed | posted: 30 May 2017 04:27)

May 17, 2017: Bloodless Retribution

Elinor Ravensdale tracks down the creator of the phylactry used to terrorize the bank building, and decides to offer a unique brand of justice.

(permalink: log:5801 | tags: jessica_jones morella vexed | posted: 18 May 2017 05:08)

May 14, 2017: The Curse of the Dragon's Pearl

Picking up where they left off in Berlin, John Constantine and Zatanna Zatara attempt to take a much-needed holiday in Tahiti. Unfortunately, as it often does, trouble follows them there - further evidence that there is no such thing as coincidence in John Constantine's life.

(permalink: log:6061 | tags: john_constantine vexed zatanna_zatara | posted: 12 Jul 2017 07:43)

May 14, 2017: AKA Dumb Ways to Die

A worried Trish Walker welcomes Jessica Jones back from Germany. Jess struggles to maintain control over her emotions as Trish brings her into the loop of her own ongoing investigation.

(permalink: log:5799 | tags: jessica_jones tigers_flies trish-walker vexed | posted: 17 May 2017 23:53)

May 13, 2017: The Things That Can't Be Fixed

John Constantine and Zatanna Zatara regroup after the destructive events in Brandenburg and the close calls they've endured in the last week.

(permalink: log:5808 | tags: john_constantine nsfw vexed zatanna_zatara | posted: 19 May 2017 02:27)

May 12, 2017: To Live Another Day

The finale to Himmel und Hölle in Bewegung Setzen. The rest of the Berlin team race to Brandenburg to stop Hermann Steinschneider from obtaining the Spear of Destiny, and the Cult of the Cold Flame's mysterious ritual. Many die.

(permalink: log:5790 | tags: dr._jane_foster himmel jessica_jones john_constantine red_robin talionis the_winter_soldier vexed | posted: 13 May 2017 05:52)

May 12, 2017: A Day Late and a Dollar Short

Bucky Barnes, Jane Foster, and Jessica Jones head to one of Berlin's hottest swing dancing clubs in the hopes of intercepting Wilhelm Kreuz, the contact who was suspiciously scarce when it was time for a rendezvous with Reiner Steinschneider. The three team members get to enjoy a few precious moments of fun and laughter before learning that here in Germany, nothing is as it seems. Kreuz proves to be frightened friend, not foe, and he arrives with a warning that comes a day late and a dollar short.

(permalink: log:5789 | tags: dr._jane_foster himmel jessica_jones the_winter_soldier vexed | posted: 12 May 2017 19:34)

May 10, 2017: Good Intentions

Zatanna Zatara is in Brandenburg, Jessica Jones, Bucky Barnes, and Dr. Jane Foster are chasing another lead in a swing club, and John Constantine is performing his own due diligence. This leaves Red Robin with the unenviable task of convincing Reiner Steinschneider to open his grandfather's enchanted diary, and when the young clairvoyant acts on his good intentions, disaster strikes.

(permalink: log:5787 | tags: himmel red_robin vexed | posted: 11 May 2017 07:27)

May 10, 2017: Bring Your Dead to Work Day

Elinor Ravensdale and Darkedge investigate an infestation of unusual ghostly activity at a local office building.

(permalink: log:5786 | tags: darkedge jessica_jones morella vexed | posted: 11 May 2017 04:04)

May 09, 2017: Magical Ballistics

Takes place before Push and Pull, Zatanna Zatara visits Dr. Jane Foster in her workspace in Berlin to enlist her and Bucky Barnes' help with a project that might be able to solve her present conundrum regarding John Constantine and her father's secrets.

(permalink: log:5784 | tags: dr._jane_foster himmel vexed zatanna_zatara | posted: 10 May 2017 05:58)

May 09, 2017: Push and Pull

Takes place before To Make an Omelette..., Zatanna Zatara seeks out John Constantine after their fight almost a week ago to update him on recent developments on the Steinschneider case, with every intent to convince him to go back to the penthouse while she chases a lead in Brandenburg, as the others will need a magician. Except the intended, quick discussion blows up under the strain of everything they aren't saying to each other.

(permalink: log:5778 | tags: himmel john_constantine vexed zatanna_zatara | posted: 09 May 2017 09:37)

May 09, 2017: To Make an Omelette...

…sometimes you've got to break some eggs.

John Constantine returns to the penthouse in Berlin after a week of absence, and Jessica Jones tries her level best to give him both comfort and advice, finding out in the process that John may not be the easiest person to comfort. After all, how does one soothe the feelings of a person who spends most of his time wishing he didn't have any?

(permalink: log:5777 | tags: himmel jessica_jones john_constantine vexed | posted: 09 May 2017 09:03)

May 08, 2017: Extenuating Circumstances

Red Robin checks on Zatanna Zatara, knowing that things aren't fine with her and John Constantine. He also confronts her about telling Jessica about his deal with Wong.

(permalink: log:5807 | tags: himmel red_robin vexed zatanna_zatara | posted: 19 May 2017 02:16)

May 05, 2017: Of Friendships and Faustian Deals

Jessica Jones discovers true friendships are harder to break than she thinks in the wake of Jane's ready, unspoken forgiveness. As they discuss the murder case that waits for Jessica back home, Jane learns she dodged a big bad bullet long before she ever met Bucky Barnes.

(permalink: log:5776 | tags: dr._jane_foster himmel jessica_jones starkrevelations vexed | posted: 09 May 2017 06:11)

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