Erebus

"Such a naughty, rude birdie... Rude now, and rude long ago... but still, very interesting..."

- Mysterious Stranger, Tangled Web of Fate

Erebus was originally thought to be a Mysterious Stranger, but he is in fact something much different and much more sinister. A transdimensional, transelemental entity who approaches time not in a linear fashion but simultaneously if he wishes, the consequences of his actions can be seen throughout Lore's history.

Personality and appearance
"****"

- ***

A devious and mysterious entity, Erebus is a consummate liar who has only revealed half-truths at best, despite his dislike of being called a liar. Another he thing he seems to detest it's being called a thief, even if merely implied. He likes making analogies (?) related to birds. Barrius claimed Erebus had abandoned his home, and his 'mother', thinking himself to be special, that he deserved more, so as to find purpose and freedom (The Journey Home!).

Physically, Erebus appears as adult, male humanoid.

Biography
A shadow, Erebus came into being as an aftereffect of the great cataclysm that created the Shadow Universe, for which he was dubbed the "Firstborn" of his 'mother'. Born in Light and in Darkness, he was never given a name, and the Shadow Universe struggled to reproduce the method of his creation, and abandoned it, preferring to mirror Lore to have some semblance of control. Forced to reside in its newly-formed "puppet layer", Erebus became disgruntled, and tore open a hole in the universe and escaped to Lore, seeking purpose and freedom (The Journey Home!).

Incapable of speech, Erebus first arrived to Lore, where the first being he encountered—the Annunaki Truth—tried to merge with him, but this drove Truth mad. The Annunaki Avatar would try to mimic Erebus' in his splitting, and eventually torn itself in two, his second half becoming Lies, an event that took place some time after the Devourer's fourth coming. Erebus went next to the city of Tjeli, in Inilar. Its inhabitants were "warped and corrupted even further under [his] hand", until they were cast into the depths of icy southern ocean by The'Galin and the Elemental Lords (Mostly Harmful).

Finally, Erebus entered Lore from outside of time and arrived near the former Guardian Tower at Edress Point, in Deren, where he met his closest analogue, the Mysterious Stranger, who felt invigorated by Erebus' Darkness but was destroyed by his Light (Mostly Harmful). To keep himself from dying, Erebus absorbed the Stranger, stealing his body, which allowed him to take the form of "Seth Cay Dhows" and which gave him the capacity to speak (The Journey Home!). Erebus claims that, as the Mysterious Stranger's destruction occurred outside of time—for he had entered from without it—, it undid its creation; however, as time/reality itself demanded that one fill their role and space that he originally did, Erebus took his place (Mostly Harmful).

At some point, Erebus forced human beings to dwell in the Shadow Universe and was involved with Lord Barrius's parents. However, as he learned of the consequences of his actions, he eventually made a truce, a ceasefire, with Barrius and his Order, thinking their conflict would lead them to mutually assured destruction. They agreed that none would open direct conduits to draw on the power there, sealing the passage to his universe (The Journey Home!).

He took the identity of "St. Mohrred" on Arturia (Mostly Harmful), but also manipulated a group of Network beings called the Alpha to become Epsilon. As the Epsilon, the "man-made god", the Vesperians created projects and paradigms around him, and planned to use Erebus to their ends (Mostly Harmful).

Eventually, he made his way to Caelestia where he went under the identity of "Tholeon Webb" (Aftermath) and altering the time line so severely that Eldron Larethian was never born, by changing the very foundations of Caelestia itself. Outside Fair Harbor, Falerin Ardendor confronted him, but found that he had never acquired his portfolio as Caelestia's God of Evil (The Journey Home!). However, heroes from Caelestia's post-apocalyptic future defeated 'Webb', undoing the changes, and thus, allowing Falerin to become the God of Evil and Eldron to be born, just as it had been in the original timeline. Once back to normal, the Caelestian Pantheon entire banished Erebus from the realm (Aftermath). Following this incident, Falerin traced Erebus, back to the Alpha and the Network, and finally back to Lore before the ascension of Isle d'Oriens, where—as intended by Erebus's deliberate manipulations—he would get his information on The'Galin from corrupt sources, causing a rift between him and the Uncreator.

Luminovia's fall
"You deceived the deities of Lore... that is quite impressive, Dhows..."

- Minister Bree-Ha to Erebus, Mostly Harmful

Nine hundred or so years before the events of AdventureQuest, in the Temple of Light in Luminova, Erebus appeared before a newly-arrived Father Candela, soon-to-be High Communicant of the Lady of Light. Erebus then killed Candela, just before Cagliari Lux went outside to meet the Father. Erebus, introducing himself as Father "Seth Cay Dhows", proclaimed himself to be the new high communicant (The Journey Home!). Unsuspecting of Erebus's deception, Cagliari welcomed him into the temple. Soon, he met Commander Paladin, the Lady's First Knight, but also Drageth Slugwrath, to whom he promised the throne (The Third Door)

Three years later, Erebus asked for Paladin, who was shown in by Cagliari. As the acolyte left them so that they could speak in private, 'Father Dhows' informed him of Safiria's recent establishment in the far edges of Luminovia's forest and declared her an enemy of the church because of "her hunger for the blood of the innocent." As he 'foresees' a time when the church would take the war to her, Paladin accepted his decision and left. Soon, Slugwrath appeared and discussed their plans, but Erebus soon told him to prepare Constantin Petyrovich for what was to come (The Third Door).

(...)

At some point, he manipulated Network technology in his experiment in forced analogue creation, becoming responsible for the creation of the E, who he considered to name "The Epsilon". Afterwards, several hundred years before the event of AdventureQuest at the Galaxyfleet Academy, Erebus appeared before Lieutenant Commander Annech Dote to inform him that the E had arisen, before abruptly vanishing. However, Dote had already taken readings so as to know if he or his kind were to ever return (The Journey Home!).

On an alternate Lore, Erebus aided Xitra Regeirk in his attempts of conquest. The shadow corrupted the world, finishing the spread of undeath that the Brilhado had already started, but also instructed the Necromancer to use the Flecks to empower himself and to subjugate his reality and others (The Journey Home!).

Enemy of Lore's powers
"I name you shadow. I name you deceit. I name you firstborn. And I name you Erebus."

- The Chosen, naming Erebus, Dhows' True From Revealed

Later, he uses his powers to attack Falerin. This "kills" Falerin temporarily -- we're able to get Falerin to recover, but damage has been done. Erebus makes off with one fragment of Falerin's shattered personality, known as "Ardendor".

Following Atlas Maxwell's disincorporation in the Deep Void, Erebus approaches the former Avatar and convinces him to return, while offering him vengeance, as well as truth and lies. Simultaneously, he works with Ardendor to obtain the Flecks so as to reassemble himself, Ardendor and Maxwell in time. Erebus finally manages to reincorporate Maxwell, and the shadow brings him to Mount Thrall, where Maxwell confronts the Chosen, Cartwright and his analogue, as well as part of Maxwell's family. With Maxwell defeated, the two soon disappeared; Erebus then approaches Drakel Minister Bree-Ha with two favors in mind, while offering him Maxwell and his desire for vengeance. (Mostly Harmful)

(...)

Aware of the SeekRat's actions (An Undiscovered Universe), Erebus appears before Falerin and the Chosen, who wish to learn about his conception (and thus, his home coordinates) in the Hall of Memories to perform his abjuration. Erebus then reveals the extent to which he has tinkered with the Above, granting him full access to the Hall of Memories, and summons Lord Barrius to call off their truce. As the Knight of Order fights Erebus and keeps him at bay, the Chosen wages a war against Erebus' forces so as to learn about his past and manage to expel Erebus to his realm of origin.

His army defeated, the Chosen faces the weakened Erebus, who is sent back to the deepest depths of the Shadow Universe. (The Journey Home!)

However, Erebus soon returns to Lore....

Powers and abilities
Able to live outside time and space like deities, Erebus has immunity and can manipulate history simultaneously and at will.

He is a highly evolved shadow in contrast to the ones the Chosen usually encounters, having years to accumulate experience outside of the Shadow Universe (The Journey Home!).

Appearances
{{Scroll box
 * content=

Dracopyre Legacy - The Hall of Memories
}}
 * 1) The Third Door
 * 2) The Fourth Door
 * 3) Tangled Web of Fate
 * 4) Darkovian Ultimatum
 * 5) The Arden Door
 * 6) Division by Zero
 * 7) The Father's Door
 * 8) Mostly Harmful
 * 9) The Bizarre Flecks Saga: 2011 Preview
 * 10) Star Blecch 2
 * 11) Dhows' True Form Revealed
 * 12) An Undiscovered Universe
 * 13) The Journey Home!
 * 14) Dragon War Platinum
 * 15) The Past Unravelled

Trivia

 * One of his names, Seth Cay Dhows, has been mentioned to be only an anagram of convenience, from the word "Shadowscythe", an element that appears both in DragonFable and MechQuest. He has also been known as St. Mohrred of Arturia, a reference to the character of Mordred or Medraught, from Arthurian Legend.