The Nightmare Vision: A Lost Chapter of Nera

The Nightmare Vision: A Lost Chapter of Nera's Dream Mastery

During her studies of the Dream Pools in 6692, Nera experienced her most harrowing prophetic vision—one that would haunt her through the centuries and ultimately shape her actions during the Black Fire War. This vision, recorded in the forbidden sections of the Dream-Tide Chronicles, revealed a dark echo of what was to come.

Some visions show not what will be, but what must be prevented. In the Dream Pools' depths, the lady of tides glimpsed a shadow of doom that would guide her steps through darkened years.

—Sonimon, Dream Weaver of Gerlandria

The Vision of Shadow

In the vision, Nera found herself transformed. No longer the divine Tide-Weaver, but vulnerable, mortal—her once-pristine form reduced to desperate flight through dark woods. Her legendary hair, which normally flowed like living water, had become tangled as seaweed cast upon rocky shores. Her ceremonial white silk tunic, marked with the gold embroidery of her divine station, hung in tatters.
The Dream Pools showed her this shadow-self running, feet bloodied, heart thundering against mortal ribs. Each step brought pain, each breath carried terror. But beneath the fear lay something deeper—a mother's desperate need to protect her unborn child from a darkness that had already consumed an entire tribe.
This vision held particular horror for Nera, as it showed her a twisted reflection of her own future role as mother to Bron. The Evil pursuing her in the vision would later be understood as a precursor to the Black Fire that would one day threaten all realms.

The Prophecy's Echo

When she stumbled in the vision—when the branch cracked and the world went dark—Nera experienced a revelation that would shape her future actions. The man's face she saw in that final moment would haunt her for centuries: it was her own son, yet not her son—Bron transformed into Zastor, though she would not understand this truth until long after.

In the depths of the Dream Pools, she witnessed her own fall, her own flight, her own fear. But more than this—she glimpsed the price of divine power, and the shadows that would one day consume those she loved most.

—Chronicles of the Dream Weavers

The Vision's Impact

This prophetic nightmare fundamentally altered Nera's approach to power and protection. It drove her to:
The vision's power lay not just in what it showed, but in how it shaped Nera's understanding of vulnerability and strength. It taught her that true power often meant choosing when to be vulnerable, when to run, and when to stand firm against encroaching darkness.

Legacy of the Nightmare

This vision would later be recognized as one of the earliest warnings of the Black Fire War. The fragment of prophecy survived in the Dream Pools of Gerlandria, where other seers occasionally glimpse echoes of Nera's desperate flight—a reminder that even gods may know fear, and that a mother's love can transcend divine power.

In her darkest vision, she saw truth: that divinity offers no shield against fear, that power cannot outrun destiny, and that sometimes the greatest strength lies in knowing when to flee—and when to stand and face the dark.

—Final inscription in the Dream-Tide Chronicles

She was running down the dark path in the woods, her heart pounding, her feet swollen and covered with blood. Long dark hair, all tangled, now reminded more of twisted roots of seaweed than a sparkling waterfall it once used to remind of. White silk tunic that had gold embroidery on the very bottom and sleeve cuffs – a sign of high rank - was torn, unveiling smooth, pale skin of her body, all scratched and bruised. But tortures of her flesh were nothing compared with the tortures that her soul and spirit were enduring. Natural strength inherited from her ancestors gave her power to fight but she was almost out of it. The inner battle with herself found the way out in her deep blue eyes, full of fear, where first traces of dread started to show up. She didn’t have time to turn back her head. She didn’t need to. She could feel Evil following her. She knew it was there. She knew there was no way for her to escape. Only one thought was piercing her mind like a lightning. She had to find the way to save her yet to be born child before Evil would take full possession of her as it already had done to the whole tribe. Suddenly, a dry branch cracked under her foot and sharp pain penetrated in every hidden corner of her consciousness making her scream as she fell down on the ground covered with old wet brown leaves. The last thing she saw was a face of a man. Then the world went dark…..
2006