Nerlana
In Reality Z-25 31-H, Nerlana, or Narlana, was the daughter of the Serpent Priest. Before his Serpent Cult was defeated by Kaza and he returned to the Temple of the Serpent God to die, he told her about the secret of the Artifact with which he controlled Nerkash, the giant serpent whom he had passed off as the Cult's deity.
Thus, ten years later, a vengeful Nerlana returned to the Temple with the help of mercenary Mitchell and recovered the tiara. She successfully recruited a sizable power-base and tried to intimidate the surviving Natari. However, news of the Cult's resurgence made their way to the Commissioner and, through him, to Kaza, now married to Gwenna. Nerlana had sent an assassin to the kraal near Buranda Pass to kill the Commissioner, but Gwenna, on whose presence she hadn't counted, was able to disarm him.
Meanwhile, however, Kaza made the mistake of heading directly to the Temple, where he was ambushed by Nerlana, who revealed the magical powers of the tiara to him. She captured him, intending to publicly sacrifice him to Nerkash that very night. However, the Commissioner and Gwenna learned about the planned ceremony at the Natari village, and had Gana's warriors surround the Temple. When Nerlana summoned Nerkash, a startled Wimberly shot at the beast, wounding it; the sight of the “god” bleeding broke most cultists' fragile faith on the spot, causing them to scatter. It also caused Nerlana to lose control of the serpent, who ended up eating her instead of Kaza. (COMIC: The Serpent Sorceress)
Kaza later compared Solomon's Diamond to “Nerlana's tiara”. (COMIC: The Danger, the Diamond, and the Dowager)
Behind the scenes
This character's name is inconsistently spelled throughout COMIC: The Serpent Sorceress: it is given as “Narlana” on Page 2 and Page 3, but as “Nerlana” on Page 4, Page 5, Page 11 and Page 12. “Nerlana” is retained for the continuity nod in COMIC: The Danger, the Diamond, and the Dowager.
