Erastos Ironhoof was once a fine strapping Minotaur warrior, a mighty bull who could cleave his foes in twain. He learnt much of his skill in battle under the tutelage of Afzal Jabbar, a great fighter in his own right, thought outstripped in sheer strength by the young bull. The two became fast friends, and Erastos regularly visited Redpride Village, fighting alongside the Chief on many an occasion.
However, his strength and vitality was not to last. On an expedition into the Great Desert, Erastos was stung in the arm and leg by a Unknown. Though usually curable by magical healing, the group had lost their healer, and in desperation amputated the minotaur's leg and arm, pulling him back to the village in a handcart. Fortune continued to glare upon Ironhoof however, as one night the vultures got to him, thinking him already dead, and pecked out an eye before being seen off.
Returning to his home village, the maimed minotaur was mocked by children and gossiped about by housewives, and he was cast out for his weakness by his own family, including his fiance who married another man while Erastos was in his sickbed, derisively called "the Half Bull". He was taken in by the Proudpaw Tribe, in a mix of guilt and pity from its Chieftain. Though gruff and cantankerous over his injuries, Ironhoof still has the respect of his old friend, and is relied upon for good advice and training the younger warriors of the tribe. He often bickers with Seth al-Rawaz, though it is largely good natured as the two respect each other after many years of cooperation. He has also recently begun a romantic relationship with Dimitra Adamos, despite the noticeable age gap between the two.
Throughout A Gathering Storm, Erastos acts as a loyal if headstrong advisor of Afzal's, and grows close to Dimitra who he eventually enters a relationship with. In the epilogue, she reveals she is pregnant with their son Darius Ironhoof. Erastos acts as a mentor figure to Faiz Jabbar following his father's death, and keeps his promise to Afzal to tell Faiz the stories of their youth, as well as keeping the Shimmersword safe until Faiz is old enough to wield it.