As Krovaxis, the Bloodscourge, carves a path of desolation, heralding the Reign of Blood, another shadow looms on the horizon to ensure the Overlord’s dominion is absolute. This second general, emerging from the blood-soaked earth where Krovaxis’s conquests have laid waste, is known as Erebos, the Sorrowbringer.
Erebos was not birthed but conjured from the collective lamentations of a thousand worlds that fell before the Overlord’s might. Where Krovaxis is the blade that cleaves through defiance, Erebos is the darkness that smothers hope, a suffocating shroud that engulfs the survivors in despair. His form, a twisted visage of the grief he embodies, holds a macabre beauty—wings of midnight hue, dripping with the sorrow of the fallen, and eyes that glow with the cold light of extinguished stars.
His purpose is singular and clear: to follow in the wake of the Bloodscourge, to quell the embers of resistance that flicker amidst the ruin. Erebos commands the Second Host, known as the Mourning Legion—a ghastly ensemble of specters and wraiths born from the last breaths of the dying. They do not clash with steel and spell; instead, they seep into the hearts of the living, draining them of will, of the very desire to resist.
Erebos’s arrival is silent, a whisper of loss that chills the soul. His battles are not marked by the clamor of war but by the quiet surrender of those who have lost all hope. Where Krovaxis brings ruin, Erebos ensures it is irrevocable, that from it springs not rebellion, but acceptance of the Overlord’s reign.
The Sorrowbringer’s name is a dirge on the lips of those who speak it, a mourning cry for the world that was. His presence is the assurance of the Overlord’s rule, a grim reminder that even should Krovaxis fall, the darkness is relentless, its generals many and tireless.
Yet, the chronicles speak of balance—a counterpoint to despair. Just as the legends hint at Krovaxis’s downfall, they whisper of a light that could pierce Erebos’s gloom. For sorrow exists only where joy once was, and as long as there are those who remember the light, there is a chance, however slender, to rekindle the flames of hope.
Subjugation of the Shimmering Vale
Following the decimation wrought by Krovaxis at the Siege of the Crystal Spire, the world of Taryndor was left reeling, vulnerable to the darkness that crept across the land. It was then that Erebos, the Sorrowbringer, and his Mourning Legion descended upon the fractured realm to extinguish the flames of resistance that still flickered amidst the rubble.
The most notable of these encounters was the Subjugation of the Shimmering Vale. The Vale, once a place of ethereal beauty with waterfalls cascading into an endless sea of flowers, was a sanctuary to those who had fled the Siege. Here, the survivors gathered, a congregation of disparate races united in grief and the shared dream of rekindling hope.
Erebos did not march upon the Vale with the sound of drums or the clamor of war. He arrived as a shadow at dusk, with the silence of a tomb. The Mourning Legion, ethereal and silent as the grave, spread like a mist among the refugees. There was no battle cry, no clash of steel, only the sudden, profound sorrow that settled in the hearts of the living.
As night fell, the specters of the Mourning Legion passed through the encampment. No barrier could keep them at bay, no magic dispel the despair they wrought. With every touch, a survivor’s hope dimmed, and their will to fight drained away like color from the world. Dreams of rebellion faded, replaced by a yearning for the oblivion that Erebos promised.
The Shimmering Vale, once aglow with life, became muted under the shadow of Erebos. The Vale’s once vibrant colors dulled, and its air, once filled with the fragrance of blooms, carried only the cold, damp scent of mourning. The denizens of the Vale found themselves unable to speak of the future, as if the concept itself had become foreign, lost.
In a single night, Erebos achieved what would have taken armies months to accomplish. By morning, the Vale was silent, its inhabitants standing motionless, their eyes empty of fight, their spirits crushed under the weight of an inescapable gloom.
The Subjugation of the Shimmering Vale was a testament to the Sorrowbringer’s power. It was said that the Vale’s waters wept black tears for centuries thereafter, and no laughter was heard upon its winds. Erebos’s victory was not marked by the fall of bodies or the burning of cities, but by the quiet surrender of souls to the Ebon Overlord’s reign.
Erebos, in his triumph, ensured that the Ascendancy of Blood was not only a period of physical ruin but of spiritual desolation. His was a conquest not over lands but over the very essence of hope, leaving behind a world where despair reigned as sovereign.
Character Sheet
Name: Erebos, the Sorrowbringer
Race: Demon (Homebrew)
Class: Dread Warden (Homebrew)
Level: 20+
Ability Scores:
- Strength: 26 (+8)
- Dexterity: 18 (+4)
- Constitution: 27 (+8)
- Intelligence: 22 (+6)
- Wisdom: 24 (+7)
- Charisma: 30 (+10)
Hit Points: 565 (35d12 + 280)
Armor Class: 21 (ethereal armor)
Speed: 30 ft., fly 100 ft.
Saving Throws:
- Strength: +15
- Dexterity: +9
- Constitution: +15
- Intelligence: +13
- Wisdom: +14
- Charisma: +17
Skills:
- Intimidation: +17
- Perception: +16
- Insight: +16
Attacks:
- Grief’s Touch: +18 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 3d10 + 8 psychic damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 23 Wisdom saving throw or be overcome by sorrow, becoming incapacitated until the end of its next turn.
- Tears of the Fallen: 60 ft. radius sphere centered on a point Erebos can see. All creatures within the area must make a DC 23 Wisdom saving throw, taking 8d8 psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Spells: Erebos has access to the following spells:
- Cantrips (at will): Chill Touch, Thaumaturgy
- 1st level (4 slots): Dissonant Whispers, Ray of Sickness
- 2nd level (3 slots): Crown of Madness, Silence
- 3rd level (3 slots): Spirit Guardians, Vampiric Touch
- 4th level (3 slots): Phantasmal Killer, Shadow of Moil
- 5th level (2 slots): Enervation, Geas
- 6th level (2 slots): Eyebite, Mass Suggestion
- 7th level (2 slots): Finger of Death, Etherealness
- 8th level (1 slot): Feeblemind, Maze
- 9th level (1 slot): Weird, True Polymorph
Equipment:
- Shroud of Despair: Ethereal armor that grants AC 21 and immunity to psychic and necrotic damage.
- Grief’s Touch: As described in attacks.
- Ring of Mind Shielding: Makes the wearer immune to magic that allows other creatures to read his thoughts, determine whether he is lying, know his alignment, or know his creature type.
- Pendant of Sorrow: Amplifies Erebos’s aura of despair, causing all hostile creatures within 60 feet to make a DC 23 Wisdom saving throw or be filled with overwhelming sadness, gaining disadvantage on all attack rolls and ability checks.
Special Abilities:
- Legendary Resistance (3/Day): If Erebos fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
- Magic Resistance: Erebos has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
- Incorporeal Movement: Erebos can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain.
- Aura of Despair: Any creature hostile to Erebos that starts its turn within 60 feet of him must make a DC 23 Wisdom saving throw or be affected by a wave of sadness, gaining disadvantage on all attack rolls and ability checks until the end of its next turn.
- Telepathy: Erebos can communicate telepathically with any creature he can see within 120 feet of him.
- True Polymorph – 9th-level transmutation – Erebos, the Sorrowbringer, wields the “True Polymorph” spell not merely as a tool of disguise, but as a means to walk undetected among the races of the lands he seeks to subdue. His preference is to assume the form of a human, as it allows him to navigate the societies that are often at the heart of resistance movements.
- Appearance: In his human guise, Erebos adopts the persona of a charismatic nobleman. His appearance is meticulously crafted to be disarmingly handsome, with sharp features, piercing eyes that shimmer with a trace of his otherworldly origin, and a mane of dark hair that seems to absorb the light around it. His noble attire is rich with dark colours and accented with hints of crimson—a subtle nod to his true demonic form—designed to exude elegance and command respect.
- Preferred Race: Human. He chooses this form for its blend of ubiquity and influence across the realms. Humans are often at the crossroads of power, commerce, and culture, making them the perfect vessel for Erebos’s machinations.
- Mannerisms: As a human, Erebos is the epitome of charm and grace, speaking with a voice that is both captivating and soothing. However, there’s an underlying current of melancholy in his words, a gentle nudge toward hopelessness in his every interaction. He listens intently, often locking eyes in a way that seems to peer into one’s soul, leaving individuals feeling exposed and vulnerable. His smile is enigmatic, often appearing at moments of others’ distress as if he finds a certain pleasure in the misfortunes that befall those around him.
Erebos’s movements are smooth and deliberate, exuding confidence and control. He often places himself at the center of gatherings, attracting attention effortlessly, yet he always maintains a sliver of distance—close enough to influence, yet apart enough to remain an enigma.
Through “True Polymorph,” Erebos embodies the human form to its ideal, using it as a vessel to spread despair in the most personal and insidious ways, ensuring that the seeds of sorrow are sown deep in the hearts of those who might once have dared to hope.
Languages: Abyssal, Common, telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge Rating: 22 (41,000 XP)
Erebos, the Sorrowbringer, is designed to be a formidable opponent, not through sheer destructive force, but by crippling his foes emotionally and psychologically, making him an insidious threat in any D&D campaign. His presence on the battlefield saps the will to fight, turning even the most resilient warriors into despondent shells. Adjustments can be made to his character sheet to fit the specific needs of the campaign and the desired challenge level.
