Bloodriders

The Bloodriders are a unit of several dozen undead cavalry in the service of Kazgoroth the Beast in the novel Darkwalker on Moonshae. They are generated directly from living humans, presumably by clerical magic of Bhaal.

They begin the novel as regular Northmen. However, they are possessed or corrupted by evil forces in an unexplained manner, related somehow to their committing massacres and subsequent firelit festivities during the Darkwalker War. They obtain stretched grey skin and glowing red eyes. They are able to drain power and sustenance from those they kill, and become (probably temporarily) more powerful as a result. They come to crave this power and the Bloodrider leader Laric becomes fixated on killing and obtaining the power of other characters he identifies as powerful, initially Aileen and later Robyn. At the culmination of the novel, the Bloodriders temporarily gain powers of super-speed, and the hooves of their horses leave trails of fire. Their steeds (all of which are black horses) also appear to turn evil with their riders, and Laric's steed is depicted actively fighting Kamerynn at one stage.

The Bloodriders fight in the Darkwalker War, usually against the Sisters of Synnoria. Several Bloodriders died before or during the Battle of Freeman's Down. All the rest, except Laric, are killed by Robyn's magic during the siege of Caer Corwell. Laric is later killed by Kamerynn, aided by Robyn, Newt and Genna Moonsinger, during a failed attempt to sacrifice Robyn and absorb her power.