The Nazar bead is a charmed object that stands as a talisman against malevolent forces. Its power was seen when Sidra al-Najjar crushed the bead and blew its dust at the albasti, a creature that feeds upon dreams, thereby laying a curse to spoil the creature's next attack or ability check with ill fortune.
The bead is bound up in the common notion of the "evil eye," that emblem held to ward off harm and ill will. In the encounter with the albasti, Sidra put it to shrewd use; and the crushing of the bead and the calling-up of its power show plainly its worth in a fight and its office as a guard against malevolent things.