(part 1 of 2)

Begin the Nightmare Realm by picking your Elder.  I chose the Beast King on account of the dismembering capabilities of his melee weapon, but it really is just personal preference.

You will start the first area in a pool of blood.  Remember the Health Flasks are there and climb out onto the floor.  Take a second to get used to the disgusting fact that you are within the body of a beast.  Once you've adjusted, kill the Ballbuster in the center of the room.  Once you do, Stumps and Headless will attack.  Slaughter them all and move through the skin colored screen.  Destroy the two Spawners here and continue on to face the Arachniclown around the corner.

Continue up the ramp and jump onto the lift.  Around the bend to the left is a Spawner.  You will surely run into several of its Stumps along the way.  Take them all out, along with the Gasbags floating around.  Push the clown faced button to drop the next roadblock.  Jump down, grab any ammo that is present and run through to the next room.

Headless will attack after a moment or two so use the Windblade to off the Fat Lady as fast as you can, then start slicing through the Headless.  Grab the ammo from the ledge near the Fat Lady and jump to the ledge on the right where the Health Flask is.  Take out the Strutter across the way down low and run off the ledge into the corridor where it was.  Kill any Stumps that are around, use a Rage Orb and arm yourself with the special weapon of your Elder.  Unless your playing as the Demon, then use the Magma Cannon.

The next area has a Tickler, Strongman, two Spawners, several Stumps and Headless and two Ballbusters.  Take out as much as you can as quick as you can and then grab the Health in the corners of the room.  Worry about the Ballbusters last as they don't start firing until later.

In the hall on the right is a lever.  Pull the lever and run like mad up the stairs and through the opened entrance before they slam shut again.  If you miss it, just try again.

Head to the left and take out the Stumps and Gasbags around the bend.  Grab the Health and run up the stairs, killing the Tickler on the way.  Around the corner is another Spawner and more Stumps.  Obliterate them and grab the ammo and health on the balcony.  Continue on through the corridor past the Spawner and Strutters that attack.

 Even though it says "0" Secrets (nor Items for that matter), I found one.  Jump to the small ledge and from there to the platform with the Chaos Heart.

Take advantage of the power-up and jump down and lay a whooping on the Ticklers and Spawner that guards the clown entrance.  Move through the hallway to the corner.  Use the Windblade to blast the Fat Lady from afar, just beware of the red blood that is blows out of the hall at you.  It will really mess you up!  Run through the hall and kill the Spawner at the end.  You are about to enter the Air like part of this mission.

Smash the windows and step through the bars onto the ledge on the left.  Bludgeon the Headless and open the door on the left to grab some ammo.  Return through the door and step out onto the thin bar that leads across the abyss.

Run across to the mesh platform and take aim at the Meanie Beanie that attacks.  Walk onto each of the corner bars to push the button to turn off the electric shield.

Take a deep breathe and enter the building.  A Spawner is on the right, but the Unipsychos and Stumps will likely be your bigger concern.  In the next room, several Unipsychos and Ballbusters attack you while you fend off numerous horde creatures at the same time.

Once you've cleared the area step out onto the pipe on the left and then ride the floating platform across the lava to the right.  Climb the ladder and flip the lever to drop a landing area for you across the pool of lava.  Return to where you first entered the area and take out the two Unipsychos across the pond.  Run and jump off the pipe onto the metal landing area and then head up the stairs.

Destroy the giant Jack-in-the-Box and kill the Stumps.  Dive into the blood on the left and start swimming.  Dive under the ledge and head into the final Boss encounter in the game—The Nightmare Child!

(part 2 of 2)

It was from this dark nucleus that the evil domain was unleashed, spreading around us like a cloud of locust.  You now stand at the heart of darkness, where the very walls scream for your blood.  The final test is at hand.  Steel yourself!

The Nightmare Child, like most other Bosses in the game, has three phases.  The first phase for him, or shall I say "it", is the Eyespawn.  The walls of this grotesque battlefield are lined with eyeballs that emit deadly discs of light at you.  When you begin, grab the Windblade and start firing while you move to the left.  Strafe around the left side of the room, out of sight of the Eyespawn on the right.  Ammo will appear occasionally, so keep an eye out for it.  Once you blast away all the eyes on the left, move gradually across the center, to the right.  Just try not to be seen by too many at once and you should get through this part with a good amount of HP still in tact.

Once the last Eyespawn is destroyed, The Nightmare Child hatches from its egg.  It's tail sends sparks of power at you which can be avoided by moving away and then towards it at the last moment.  Keep firing at the Child with the Windblade or your Elder's special weapon.  Keep your distance and watch for his charge.  If he hits you with his tail, you won't be long for this world.

When you start to run low on HP, head for the blue static panels on the right side of the area.  You will fall through "space" trying to pick up Health Flasks on the way down.  This also acts as a decent teleporter if you are cornered and need a quick getaway.

From beyond the grave, the Nightmare Child means to drag you with it into the downward spiral of doom that already shackles it!  Have you the strength left to face the fury of retaliation?

The final phase of The Nightmare Child is in the form a crab.  It is very similar to the second phase, except he doesn't hover nor does he have a tail to swing.  Keep blasting him with the Windblade, Magma Cannon, and special weapon if you can.  Continue to dodge the sparks he throws at you by never standing still and using the teleporter over and over.  If he gets near, he will bite and claw you to death, so don't let him.

By chance, if you dash to one side of the room and stand on the ramped part, he will get stuck on the other side of the egg.  You can blast him in near perfect safety this way.  When you finally kill his third form, the game is over.

And so the last breath of the storm has passed, the shadows stir no more.  The Damocles Sword has fallen, nut by way of your courage it has missed its sleeping target.  On this eve, the unknowing masses of our world owe you their souls' salvation.  The web of terror spun by the Nightmare King is now but a faded shadow under the fresh break of day.  I take my leave now.  Weariness lays heavy on my brow.  The carnival of souls must mend itself, for the road goes ever on.  In time, our wounds will heal and become old scars that may spin fables around the campfire.  Avatars!  The elements honor your services with undying gratitude and name you as true Soul Wardens!  Wake now from this dark slumber!  The world may dream again, for in truth, this nightmare is at an end!