After it kills Elric at the end of the War of Chaos and Law, Stormbringer is the last living thing in the world. But the implication, IMO, is that it acts as the seed (of Chaos) of the next one.
One-word synopsis: EMO.
FWIW, it’s been 25 years since I’ve read any Elric stuff, but I seem to recall a Moorcock interview where he states that Elric has allegorical elements of the author’s own battle with alcoholism and how alcohol destroys everything.
I can wholeheartedly endorse this recommendation, having experienced the Elric books at exactly that time. Probably a very novel anti-hero for the time the book came out. I would also agree the Corum stories were better.