Eric was born to Faiella and King Oberon and is Corwin's illegitamate elder full-brother. An arrogant yet competent would-be king of Amber; he commands the loyalty of Julian, Caine and Gerard. Corwin and Eric's rivalry for the throne drives much of the plot of the first three books. After Benedict, Eric was reputedly the greatest swordsman in the Universe of Amber and Shadow. A few centuries before the events of the first novels, he and Corwin decided to settle their rivalry in a duel to the death. In the event, Eric, fearing Oberon's wrath, left Corwin, gravely injured, on Earth in the 17th century. Corwin recovered physically but his memory was gone. Eric maintained that Corwin had left Amber of his own volition, but Oberon would often hint that he suspected Eric of killing Corwin. When Oberon disappeared, lured into Shadow to find a tool to fix the Pattern after Brand damaged it, Eric allied with Caine and Julian to hold the throne.