Tamar's Cohort Second Nightmare

Their Second Nightmare took place in Mictlan, the ancient version of Godgrave that existed long before the sky above it was covered by the Cloudveil. Although it was different from the present-day Godgrave, it remained a hostile and deadly place. The scarlet jungle had not yet gained the strength it possessed in the present because it could not establish itself on the surface of the Sun Killer without the Cloudveil. Nevertheless, it was already an ever-growing, relentless wilderness filled with abominations and served as an endless source of Corruption.^[1]

Tamar and her cohort were assigned the roles of Awakened warriors in a conflict between two powerful Transcendent figures of Mictlan: Ketzelkan, the Winged Serpent, and Shatana. The people of Mictlan believed that the Sun Killer was still alive and that the scarlet jungle represented its desire to be reborn. The White Abyss, the sky above Godgrave, existed to prevent the Sun Killer from becoming whole again, and the sacred duty of Mictlan's people was to ensure that the Sun Killer never overcame the White Abyss. However, the inhabitants of Mictlan were trapped in the Hollows and slowly moving toward extinction because they had no access to the surface. Shatana sought to change that fate, even if it meant abandoning their sacred duty, while Ketzelkan opposed any betrayal of their purpose. Their disagreement eventually escalated into open hostility.^[1]

The cohort was forced to choose a side. Tamar and Telle supported Ketzelkan, while Ray and Fleur favored Shatana and her daughters. The deciding vote belonged to June, who sided with Ketzelkan not because he agreed with his ideals, but because Ketzelkan was significantly more powerful and offered the greatest chance of survival. As a result, the cohort infiltrated Shatana's faction, exposed her plans, and helped Ketzelkan kill her before she could create the Cloudveil. In doing so, they also doomed the civilization of Mictlan to disappear much sooner than it otherwise would have. Although Tamar was relieved to have survived, she described the Nightmare as leaving a bad taste in her mouth and admitted that she still did not know whether they had made the correct choice and likely never would.^[1]

The cohort's Second Nightmare is a long one. They were trapped for more than a year inhabited other bodies before returning to their own, making the adjustment particularly difficult. During their absence, major events had unfolded, including the fall of an evil Sovereign from the moon, humanity's subjugation under a mind hex, a second Domain War, Cassie's ascension to Supremacy, the destruction and restoration of the Longing Domain, the loss of several years of memories by humanity, and the arrival of the River People and their Supreme in the Stormsea. After their successful return, Rain informed the cohort that they were expected to meet Cassie immediately. Cassie was required to examine the minds of everyone who had been inside a Nightmare during the period when humanity's memories were erased.^[2]