Editing Nephilim

{{Darksiders wiki: Race Template
|name = Nephilim
|image =[[File:Th.jpeg|thumb|300px]]
|caption = The Four Horsemen, Last of The Nephilim
|race = Nephilim
|travel = [[Phantom Horse]]s, on foot
|gender = Male and female
|eyes = Varies
|hair = Varies
|unusual features = Immense magical capabilities<br>Extreme physical powers<br>Critically-endangered/near-extinct (four members extant)
|affiliation = Themselves
|previous affiliation = [[The Charred Council]], [[Absalom]], the Nephilim Horde
|occupation = The [[Four Horsemen]] of the Apocalypse, former servants and enforcers of The Charred Council
|partner = [[Ruin]] (War)<br>[[Despair]] (Death)<br>[[Rampage]] (Fury)<br>[[Mayhem]] (Strife)
|members = [[War]]<br>[[Death]]<br>[[Fury]]<br>[[Strife]]<br>[[Absalom]]
|weapon = [[Chaoseater]]<br>[[The Harvester]]<br>[[Scorn]]<br>[[Mercy]] & [[Redemption]]<br>Scythes<br>Swords<br>Fiery Whips<br>[[Absolution]]<br>[[Grand Abominations]]<br>[[Hollow Magic]]
|debut = [[Darksiders]]
|voice = [[Liam O'Brien]] (War)<br>[[Michael Wincott]] (Death<br>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Templeman Simon Templeman] (Absalom)}}
{{quote|Trust me angel, if you live until the last star burns, until the Creator Himself has died and putrefied away to nothing, you still won't even begin to understand how depraved we were.|[[Death]], about the Nephilim, to Azrael||margins = 0}}

'''Nephilim''' are an ancient and nearly extinct race born from a union of [[Angel]]s and [[Demon]]s engineered by the demoness [[Lilith]]. Once one of the most savage, powerful and warlike races in all Creation, they were destroyed by the Charred Council, who sent the Four Horsemen to stop the Nephilim's world-burning crusade. 

==Overview==
The physical traits and powers of the Nephilim are quite diverse when compared to other races of the universe, save for their common humanoid shape. This may be owed to their unnatural creation at the hands of Lilith. Though they all retain a humanoid form, the appearance of the Nephilim can be wildly differentiated. Some possess remarkably human appearances aside from their size while others were known to have horns and even wings.

All Nephilim possess incredible physical prowess. All of the [[Four Horsemen]] are known to have more powerful forms they can take on, but Absalom, the only named Nephilim not aligned with the Council, displayed no such ability. Determining what abilities come naturally to a Nephilim is further complicated by never seeing one portrayed without some sort of outside influence: The Horsemen gained power from the Charred Council and used abilities granted to them by other beings over the course of their journeys. Absalom, when encountered by Death, was utterly infested by Corruption and filled with its power. It is therefore impossible to accurately measure the scope of the Nephilim's ability. However, until the defection of the Horsemen, the Nephilim's Balance-imperiling crusade was apparently unstoppable.

The Nephilim left some of the deadliest and most powerful weapons in [[Creation]] as their legacy. Though the Nephilim were not craftsmen, they were able to create extremely potent weapons by infusing their energies into Maker-forged weapons. Death himself appears to have been particularly skilled at this, as he was noted as being the closest thing the Nephilim had to a crafter. He was responsible for infusing both his own scythe, [[Harvester]], and the sword Affliction with arcane energies that vastly increased their effectiveness. Affliction, for instance, inflicted poisonous wounds beyond the skill of even [[Heaven]]'s best healers to mend, and Harvester was able to transform into any melee weapon Death wished it to become. The most heinous of their creations were the [[Grand Abominations]], world ravaging weapons crafted from the flesh and bone of the [[Ravaiim]]. Ordinarily, creating weapons such as the Abominations would have been far beyond the skill of the Nephilim, but the somewhat amorphous nature of the Ravaiim themselves enabled the Nephilim to circumvent this problem.

The Nephilim as a race ultimately came to an end when they led an assault on Eden, during which the Four Horsemen, alongside the Hellguard, slaughtered the Nephilim to the last being during a titanic battle. After this occurrence, the only Nephilim left were the Four Horsemen, and to some extent, Absalom, though what he became after spawning Corruption is not fully understood.

==History==
{{Quote|Nephilim-cursed union of Angel and Demon. The Nephilim put countless realms to the sword, and burned them to ash.|Crowfather|speaking of the Nephilim}}
The Nephilim came into being by the hand of Lilith, who derived the first of their kind from the mingled remains of angels and demons which, in turn, triggered the mating of angels and demons to spawn them by instinct. [[Absalom]] is known to have been the first of their number, and in some way was the "mold" from which the rest were cast. How this can be considering that many Nephilim were apparently born through numerous different angels and demons procreating with one another is a mystery. However, the Nephilim are all confirmed to be related to one another, and are all descended in some manner from Absalom. It is also known that there existed a primary generation of Nephilim known as the "Firstborn", which seemed along with Absalom to be in overall command of the race. After a time, when enough Nephilim had been spawned and matured, Absalom led his kind on a world killing crusade. It is not known why this crusade was begun, but based on statements from Absalom, it may have been started in part out of a desire to claim a realm for the Nephilim, which was in fact the primary reason for their assault on [[Eden]]. Further evidence of this is alluded to by Death who stated that his people were "depraved" and outcasts among Creation due to their bloodlust. The first victims of the Nephilim were the [[Ravaiim]], an ancient and remarkably inventive race of craftsmen who could sculpt their own flesh, living or otherwise, into almost anything. Their destruction was quick and brutally effective, but unfortunately for them, the Nephilim had plans for them extending beyond extermination. One of the Firstborn, [[Death]], conceived of a way to turn the corpses of the Ravaiim into obscene weapons of world-ending power. Named [[The Grand Abominations]], these weapons were so horrific that even the Nephilim used them only sparingly, keeping them a closely guarded secret and creating numerous fail-safes to keep them under control. Additionally, only the Firstborn ever knew the secrets of either the Abominations' construction or the means to activate them fully.

[[File:The_Horsemen_pledge_their_alligence.png|thumb|left|Fury, War, Death, and Strife become the Four Horsemen]]

The Nephilim went on to butcher countless realms, inducing the complete extinction of all life upon many of these worlds. Both Heaven and Hell made significant efforts to stop the Nephilim, though it is not known whether or not these efforts were true declarations of war on the part of either realm. One such battle involved a massive demon army in combination with a large group of Makers, but despite inflicting massive casualties on the Nephilim, the battle ended in defeat for the coalition. However at last, four of the Nephilim grew weary of the slaughter. Believing that the crusade of their kinsmen threatened to undo the Balance of Creation, the four approached the neutral ruling body of the universe, [[The Charred Council]]. Possibly unbeknownst to the four, the Council too had been watching the four, and had been anticipating their defection. The four struck a deal with the Council; they would become the Council's enforcers, upholding the Balance and maintaining order in the universe, in exchange for phenomenal amounts of power. After their defection, it is known that the Nephilim crusade continued for some time, but that time was short.

When [[Human|humans]] first appeared, it was decided by the Charred Council that they were to be given [[Eden]] as their realm. This decision enraged the Nephilim. Believing Eden should have been theirs, they conspired to wrest it from Heaven's control and take it for themselves. The Charred Council learned of this plot and sent the Four Horsemen to reinforce an army of angels intent on defending Eden from the Nephilim. 
[[File:The_Horsemen_slaughter_their_kin_from_creation.png|thumb|The Four Horsemen slaughter their kin at Eden]]

The ensuing battle saw the slaughter of all the remaining Nephilim, primarily at the hands of the Four. As they died, their souls were collected into an amulet which Death wore around his neck, preserving their essences even as their flesh was destroyed. At some point, seemingly near the end of the battle, Death engaged Absalom himself in single combat and defeated him. Lying on the ground, mortally wounded, the eldest Nephilim was suddenly dragged into the ground by what appeared to be a blackened pool of his own blood. Death attempted to save him, but failed, and, screaming in anguish at his actions, he collected the rest of the souls of his brethren into the amulet. After the battle, the Council instructed Death to destroy the Amulet, and with it, the souls of the Nephilim. However, Death instead entrusted the amulet to the [[Crowfather]], who agreed to take the burden in exchange for its secrets. He would come to regret this decision, as constantly listening to the hateful psychic voices of the trapped Nephilim ultimately drove the Crowfather mad.

{{Quote|What we did was necessary. The Nephilim's very existance was an affront to the Balance|War speaking to Strife of the Nephilim genocide}}

About a decade after the newly christened Horsemen were tasked by the Council to end their race's rampage at Eden, the Riders War and his second eldest brother Strife are again deployed to enforce the Balance; they were tasked to root out any conspirators affiliated with the demon king Lucifer, who was plotting against Mankind.

A crucial part in his long running scheme involved the long-since decimated realm of Eden and its various facilities. He would extend a devils bargain to the corruption-tainted [[Astarte]], who had succumbed to madness in her duties of looking after the ruined world. The prince of lies used early manifestations of [[Corruption]] presented in the form of the monstrous aberration called the [[Grinner]] to his advantage while laying siege to Abaddon and his garrison in the [[Faneguard]]. This creature turned many among the heavenly host into [[Corrupted Angel]]s in it's wake; this created the opportunity for Lucifer to offer the defiled angel lieutenant power over the dead and freedom from her duties in exchange for access to the broken world.

The brethren enforcers would dispatch the demon [[Belial]] for corrupting the waters of Eden, his part of the bargain made with Lucifer. Belial had been set with a mission in which the environment's hydration would be tampered into a malignant carcinogen capable of carrying a special kind of corruption which his benefactor had grand plans for. After defeating the demon, War & Strife would return to the still burning battleground, the undertaking not sitting well with the horsemen at all. The sight of the broken dimension of hopelessness, long-charred after the slaughter of their kin, drudged up various bad memories for the duo. But as they ruminated on what it was that the conductors of their inquisition sought there, they saw their fallen brothers and sisters rise from their graves as shambling undead.

To their revulsion and ultimate fury, they saw the twisted angel lord Astarte standing atop a mound of corpses. Boasting of her newfound power over their familial decedents, she declared that they would perish for their crime of treachery before lunging at them to attack. Even with her bolstered strength, though, the demented holy warrior fell to the Riders' superior might.

In a fit of rage, War butchered the sneering heavenly ward as she provoked him by claiming to know of Strife's checkered past. The two brothers would re-council for a little bit before reaffirming their trust in one another and pressing onward. Later in their investigation, a quick sojourn back to Vulgim's abode illuminates what needs to be done. In order to prevent further defilement of their clansmen's resting place, the demon merchant requires a divine relic, one powerful enough to plug the leak within the domain that Lucifer had gain access to. They were to retrieve the [[Aether Spark|Elderstone]], a powerful item within heaven's arsenal that was lost during the battle for the war-torn landscape. Along the way to Eden in search of Vulgrim's object of intrigue, the pair of horsemen come across a cadre of maddened angles who bar their path in Astarte's name.

In the midst of dispatching the bile stained bastions, [[Abaddon]] would placate himself before both War & Strife, questioning why the two had returned there after everything they'd done. The three of them would come to a compromise when the archangel learned that they'ed dealt with Astarte after her fall from grace. Abaddon would thank the two for putting his former charge out of her misery, as she was no longer the same confidante and loved one as before.

After the lot part ways, the riders would continue their trek across the ruined former home of man, searching for their prize and dispatching any corrupted of the angelic garrison or lingering reanimated Nephilim remnants left along their path. After finding what they were looking for, Abaddon beseeches them to help him purge the area of the beast responsible for the corrupting influence. Strife would rather be done with the assignment so they can return to the hunt for Lucifer, but War convinces him to do otherwise to honor their fallen brethren and make some peace within themselves.

Along the pathway up the spire where the monster roosts, they both take a moment to gaze out over the ruined land and reflect on the actions which led to their slaughter of their fellow nephilim, their brothers and sisters. War says what was done had been done for the sake of the balance; their brethren were, and acted as, an affront to that which the horseman strive to maintain. Strife is riled by such callousness in his younger sibling's speech, but War justifies his statement by the fact that Absalom led them all to their decimation on a fools errand. The white rider cannot help but think that their first assignment was a test to see how far the Charred Council could push the limits of their enforcer's loyalties, a notion which makes even the more steadfast enforcer pause for thought. But for the time being, they shake off their indecision and press onward, strengthening their resolve by strengthening their bond.

After a while, Strife takes a quick stop at a watering hole to leave an item he took from Mammon's keep there as it's final resting place, his younger brother inquiring as to why such an undertaking was so important. Strife woefully admitted to having relished in doing dirty jobs for a living, the grizzlier the better, before becoming a horseman.

The elder of the two finds himself amazed when the younger agrees with him for once about questioning everything that they do for the Council. Strife listens as his brother voices aloud what he had been thinking, about following blindly like an abyssal creature bonded to it's master. Having dispatched of the abhorrent creature murdering and tainting the legion of the White City's elite, both Warriors return to the void only to be greeted with distasteful news: not only had Lucifer carried out his intentions and long since left paradise behind, but he'd already left the shattered world in the care of another powerful demon: [[Dagon]]. This demon lord planned to flash flood his new kingdom with a deluge in order to purify it and better reshape it to his liking afterwards.

Not at all happy with this news, War and Strife immediately set out to derail the water demon's plans by dispatching his Stormcaller and his acolytes before such an event could come to pass. They would meet up again with the Hellguardsmen Abaddon to discuss how best to dispatch the demon lord's mystic. He advises the two to hunt down the Stormcaller's three protectors to defuse a barrier set up to shield him from any outside interference.

After succeeding with their plan, Strife and War set out to throttle the caller's master. Dagon is outraged that the two had dared interfere with the cleansing of his new world. They eventually dispatch Dagon, but were nearly drowned when he tried to drag the two into a watery grave. Surviving the close call, the two laugh triumphantly and humorously now that Eden remains unspoiled.

{{Quote|I wondered where the souls of your brethren had gone, for they never passed through my realm.|Lord of Bones|speaking of the deceased Nephilim to Death}}

After this, Death went to the location of the [[Abomination Vault]], the location of most of the Grand Abominations, and sealed it with magic wards. The location of the Vault and the secrets of powering the Grand Abominations had been known only to the firstborn generation of Nephilim. With Death as the sole remaining survivor of those individuals, nobody else in creation knew the secrets of the weapons, and Death hoped to keep it that way. Unfortunately, eons later, a rogue angel discovered the existence of the weapons. Hoping to use them against Heaven in revenge for exiling his lover to Hell, [[Hadrimon]] waged a campaign to retrieve them which was ultimately foiled by [[Death]] and [[War]].

{{Quote|The eons have not answered the question: Was it worth it?|Crowfather|on the slaughter of the Nephilim}}

Eons later, an archangel general known as Abaddon conceived of a plot to trigger the End War earlier than ordained. He located the [[Seven Seals]] of the Apocalypse and broke all but one of them, hoping to lure the forces of Hell into a trap, destroy them and then reforge the seals to make it appear as though Heaven had simply protected Earth from the aggression of Hell. Leaving the final seal intact, he hoped, would keep the Four Horsemen from intervening in the battle, as the breaking of the final seal acted as a summons for them. However, Abaddon was betrayed by a person or persons unknown, and Hell prepared for his trap by sending far more soldiers to Earth than Abaddon had believed they would. Outnumbered by the demons, Abaddon was shocked to see the appearance of the Horseman War, who had appeared on Earth in response to a summons from the Council, who also knew of Abaddon's plan. However, with no proof as to Abaddon's duplicity, they could do nothing to punish him. As such, unbeknownst to War, they sent him to Earth with the intent of blaming the attack via treachery on his part, hoping that he would uncover Abaddon's co-conspirators in the process of clearing his name. The attack ended in victory for the forces of Hell, and War's spirit was sent to the Abyss after his death at the hands of the demon [[Straga]].

In the wake of War's imprisonment, Death's leave of absence and Strife's mysterious secret mission, the Council would later assign the only remaining Horsemen left in their employ to undergo an unprecedented task. [[Fury]] Rider of the Black Horse, would be assigned with recapturing the [[Seven Deadly Sins]], whom had fled to Earth after somehow escaping the Council's care, and returning them to her masters in exchange for being made leader of the Four. Poised to take up such a difficult trial, the Black Rider was incensed to find they'd assigned her a [[Envy|Watcher]] to monitor her progress. But the female observant managed to curry favor with her oversee by playing to the horsemen's ego, making way for the now devastated Earth. War's warnings of treachery being afoot fell on deaf ears as his sister coldly ignored his predictions of doom that awaited her.

Death soon learned of the Council's accusations against War. Believing that War was innocent, and possibly that the Council knew of that fact, Death began to search for a way, not to clear War's name, but to undo the crime War was accused of. Seeking to resurrect humanity, he visited the Crowfather in search of answers, only to find that the souls of the Nephilim had driven the Old One to madness. The Crowfather refused to help Death unless he took back the amulet, but Death refused to either reclaim it or destroy it. Hearing this, the Crowfather attacked, but Death killed him. After the Crowfather's defeat at Death's hand, the amulet containing the souls of the Nephilim was shattered and the shards embedded themselves in Death's chest, along with the souls themselves. After this, Death was transported to the realm of the Makers. Without any easy way off the world, Death was forced to help the Makers in restoring their realm whilst battling a decaying, animating force known as [[Corruption]].

After managing to destroy a sapient Corruption construct that was blocking access to the [[Tree of Life and Death]], Death traveled to the Tree, hoping to find the key to resurrecting humanity. Instead, he discovered that Absalom was still alive after a fashion, having been twisted into becoming the source of Corruption. Absalom vowed to consume Creation with his new abilities, and Death was transported by the Tree to the Dead Kingdom. There, he visited the Lord of Bones, the ruler of the Dead Kingdom. The ancient king recognized the Nephilim souls in Death's chest, but ultimately thought of it as little more than a curiosity, as his kingdom was already overcrowded by the collective souls of humanity. However, in discussing the Nephilim souls with Death, it became clear that Death was remorseful for having killed his kinsmen, despite adamantly stating that he did not regret doing so. Ultimately, the dead king sent Death to the City of the Dead, where the souls of the dead went to be cleansed of their past lives before being sent back to the Well of Souls for rebirth. Here, Death met the spirit of the Crowfather, apparently cured of his madness and none the worse for wear despite being dead. The Crowfather revealed to Death that, in order to resurrect humanity, Death would need to sacrifice the souls of the Nephilim to the Well of Souls, a prospect that did not sit well with Death. He also revealed to Death that he could also use the Well to restore the Nephilim, but expressed unequivocally that Death, despite his remorse, had been absolutely right to destroy the Nephilim.

After locating the keys to the Well of Souls, Death confronted Absalom, who had made his abode within the Well, one last time. After a lengthy battle, Death defeated Absalom once more and, in doing so, stopped Corruption. Without any clear idea of what to do next, Death was visited again by the Crowfather, who reminded him that, if he sacrificed the souls of the Nephilim, he would save humanity or, if Death chose to, he could resurrect the Nephilim. But whichever choice he made, he would doom one of the two races forever. Choosing to save humanity, and thus War, he cast himself and the rest of his kin into the Well, ensuring that humanity would be saved, but forever dooming the Nephilim.

{{Quote|What I see is a lust all your own-- a lust for power, privilege and protection from the Nephilim's inevitable fall! Ultimately, that makes us allies.|Lust|to Fury in regards to her motives}}

Meanwhile back on the shattered Earth. Fury began her mission walking through the devastated remains of a once bustling human city. Remembering the Councils advice she made her way to what was believed to be the safe zone for human survivors called [[Haven]], as she'd been reminded of by her Watcher. It is there she meets what is assumed to be her first Sin, that being the Hatred Made flesh; Envy. The haughty Horsemen was pounced upon by the hideous bag lady she assumed was a Sin, when the creature demanded she depart as all that is human belonged to her by right. The Horsemen simply scoffed at the notion as she couldn't care less about the well being of mankind as it stood. Stating she was there for the covetous entity, much to the former's horror.

After handily dispatching her host, Fury copped her magical artifact, the [[Talisman of Sin]]; both as a spoil of war as well as a vessel with which to locate and properly detain the other sins. She would soon meet up with the fabled [[Ulthane|Blackhammer]] at the real Haven sight manned by him and his fellow Makers who look to protect what remaining humans they can find. Fury finds all of this superfluous of coarse, laughing off the very idea that Ulthane believed she'd come to help protect them, stating her foremost mission was the capture, defeat and incarceration of the Seven Deadly roaming the world. Still, the Maker'd managed to convince the Nephilim to lend aid to their cause; for every human she'd rescue he would offer her items and upgrades to Fury's weaponry as compensation. Fury merely took him up on his offer so he would owe her in the long run but the thought of bolstered equipment was too tempting to pass up. After some more adventuring where she'd been bested by [[Wrath (Character)|Wrath]] after finding her companion [[Rampage]] had been slain, meeting with the [[Lord of the Hollows]] whom gave her a portion of his power, as well as the knowledge to question everything surrounding the war. The Black Horsemen would travel around some more, fighting and capturing more and more of the Sins along the way. Gaining new [[Hollow Magic]] as a reward for her personal progression from the Hollow Lord. Fury would later encounter a host of heavens warriors led by the Archangel [[Usiel]]. Whom would bring to her attention of [[Lust]]'s antics in reanimating the dead cadavers of both Angels and Demons to serve as they're personal army. In exchange for dispatching the Deadly Sin, the 7th Legion leader would impart one of the First Kingdom's holy [[Crossblade]]'s to aid in Fury's incursion of Lust's territory.

Finally making it to her quarry's secret base, the Ruler of Twisted Desire would inquire as to why and for what reasons their would-be captor has for coming up against them. They taunted Fury with the obvious truth as to why she so willingly follows the orders of individuals whom she clearly has less respect for than her own brethren Horsemen. That the only reason she bothers to fight for Balance is for her own selfish gain like everybody else, that she never cared for the greater good unless there was personal benefit. After being shown an illusion of her fondest desires, Fury found herself incensed and enraged, seeing what she really wanted was not at all what she wished too be.

To that end, Fury rejected the salacious Sin's offer as the fantasy her host provided offended her sense of sibling comradery. Being near defeat at the Horsemen's hand, Usiel showed himself before the two in order to dispatch the renegade himself. But would fall prey to Lust's temptations of restoring the 7th Legion with the opportunity to assume command of the First Kingdom, the former quickly falling under the taciturn schemers manipulations forcing Fury to fend off the both of them in combat. The female rider still manages to overcome them and finally sets about to capture Lust. Who realized how outmatched they were and opted to make a deal in order to preserve themselves, opting to tell Fury of the location of the lesser of the seven's number; Envy, in exchange for their freedom. Stating that the Sin's care nothing for one another and will happily do whatever's necessary for the purpose of self-preservation. All while eerily looking in the general direction of their assailant's Watcher as they explain thus. But fury has none of what he/she/they are selling and promptly disposes of their target entity. Tho initially poised to strike the Archangel down for impeding her mission, Fury relents as she knows how powerful temptation is when faced with despair. She spares his life in exchange for an alliance with the remains of his garrison, much to the Watcher's chargin, but Fury's encounter with her latest adversary made her realize and reaffirm the rider's dedication to seeking Balance. Both for the world and within herself. The Lord of the Hollows was impressed by such personal growth, seeking to bring Fury back within his realm in order to impart more of his power as a sign of his acknowledgment of such before sending her back on her journey.

After the breaking of the Seventh Seal on [[Earth]], the Horsemen were called, reviving both Death and [[War]] from their demises and restoring the Horsemen to their full number.

==Society==
{{Quote|Flawed castings from a perfect mold. Absalom was always stronger than the rest of you...|Samael|speaking to Death on the Nephilim}}
Very little is known about how the Nephilim organized themselves save that Absalom led them, however they appear to have been a simply structured oligarchy with a sole ruler holding the majority of the power along with a ruling class. Based on their history and accounts of their actions, the Nephilim were a warmongering imperalistic group, pillaging and destroying whatever they came off to use as their own to utilize in their next conquest. They were a considerably advanced yet primitively brutal society combining the technological advancement and mindless bloodlust of their Angel and Demon forebearors. The leaders of the Nephilim appeared to be the first and oldest of their kind:

'''The Firstborn''' - A group of the oldest Nephilim that appears to have served an important authoritative role in their social military structure, though the extent of their power is unknown. Death is mentioned as being one of the Firstborn. Absalom, the First of the Nephilim, was the leader and deemed as the strongest member of their race by default. Also, these Firstborn were extremely skilled in crafting weapons, as Death, a Firstborn, was viewed as the closest thing the Nephilim had to a Maker.

==Notable Nephilim Characters==

===The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse===
The [[Four Horsemen]] are vastly powerful Nephilim bound to the service of the Charred Council.  The four Nephilim were granted their exceptional abilities in exchange for their oaths to serve the Council as enforcers of the Law and defenders of the Balance, their first task being the slaughter of the rest of their kind.

*[[Death]], Horseman of the Pale Horse, [[Despair]] - Death is the eldest of the Horsemen and their leader. He wields the scythe [[Harvester]], though he uses alternate weapons since Harvester cannot be utilized without the Council's permission. He is the main protagonist in ''[[Darksiders II]]''. Death's form is called "[[Reaper Form]]".
*[[Strife]], Horseman of the White Horse, [[Mayhem]] - A Horseman wielding two pistols named [[Mercy]] and [[Redemption]]. He is one of the main protagonists of ''[[Darksiders Genesis]]'', with War. Strife's form is called "[[Anarchy Form]]".
*[[Fury]], Horsewoman of the Black Horse, [[Rampage]] - Fury is the only female Horseman. she wields a long handled razor whip named [[Scorn]]. She is the main protagonist of ''[[Darksiders III]]''. Fury's form is called "[[Havoc Form]]".
*[[War]], Horseman of the Red Horse, [[Ruin]] - War is the youngest Horseman and the main protagonist of the first [[Darksiders]]. He wields the sword [[Chaoseater]]. The Horsemen have the innate ability to transform into much more powerful forms for a short period of time. War's form is called "[[Chaos Form]]".

===Others===
*[[Absalom]] - The first of all Nephilim and the only unnatural born of his kind as well as the leader of the race. He led the Nephilim across countless worlds, burning everything in their path until eventually they came to Eden. The Angels met his forces on the field of battle with the help of the Four Horsemen. Eventually Death defeated Absalom in single combat. Absalom then became [[Corruption]], setting in motion events that would culminate eons later. In ''Darksiders II'', Absalom took on this role as the Avatar of Chaos and guarded the Well of Souls. When Death reached the Well, he defeated Absalom and killed him, ending his life and the threat of Corruption as well. He wielded the axe [[Absolution]].

==Trivia==
* It should also be noted that there are two interpretations of the Four Horseman. The Biblical interpretation labels the horsemen Conquest, War, Famine and Death. The interpretation used most often in popular culture including the famous woodcut by Albrecht Dürer, consists of Pestilence, War, Famine, and Death. Other than War and Death, the other Horsemen, in either interpretation, were cut and replaced with Fury and Strife. Although Fury has no close resemblance to her corresponding horseman Famine, Strife slightly resembles Conquest. Conquest is designated to depict internal conflict, similar to Strife. The word strife, however is more closely related to War.
* Like most religious elements in Darksiders, a lot of creative license has been taken with the concept of the Nephilim, making Darksiders' interpretation of the Nephilim and Four Horsemen very different from the Biblical ones. Most notably; in the Bible, the Horsemen are mentioned ''as being the first four seals'' in addition to being separate from the Nephilim. The most popular as well as the major traditional view of Nephilim in religion is that they were the offspring of humans and angels, described as giants among men.
* It should be noted that some conflicting canon exists in the Darksiders universe. It has been said that the Nephilim are created from angels and demons yet other statements say the Nephilim are older than angels and demons. If the first statement is true then their mother is [[Lilith]]. If the latter is true then the Nephilim race are one of the first beings created by the Creator and probably as old as the universe itself second only to the Makers. Although Lilith's statement of "mingling the dust of Angels and Demons" could be seen as accurate since men are also considered to be created from dust but Demons were only created after the fall of Lucifer's host and further Abaddon has been stated to be older than Nephilim and Lilith herself was a demon (most probably never human as Nephilim are eons older than humans).
* At the end of ''Darksiders II'' the souls of the Nephilim were sacrificed to resurrect Humanity. The amulet containing their souls was embedded in Death's chest, who was also sacrificed. The end of the game reveals that Death was resurrected, but whether the amulet containing the Nephilim was brought back with him, though unlikely, is currently unknown. If it was, there is a chance that the race may be resurrected in later games.
* The term Firstborn has only been used in the novel Darksiders: The Abomination Vault, and has not appeared directly in the games, though as all but one of the Firstborn are dead, there is little reason for it to be used. Another name they went by, only once though, was the collective name the Slaughtered Ones.
* The Four Horsemen are only ever referred to as "The Four Horsemen" or "The Four", never as "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse".

==Gallery==
<gallery spacing="small" widths="213">
Darksiders War Paints by SplashColors.jpg|War atop Ruin.
War.png|War
Death colored.jpg|Death
Fury comic.png|Fury
Strife colored.jpg|Strife
The four horsemen by windlordofsuldor.jpg|The four remaining Nephilim, by artist Windlordofsuldor, appropriating [[Joe Mad]]'s style.
Darksiders008.jpg|A comic page.
Strife Fury Death War.png|Strife, Fury, Death, and War
The Horsemen slaughter their kin from creation.png|The Four Horsemen slaughter their kin from creation
Death Amulet Shards.png|The shards of amulet holding the souls of the Nephilim, embedded in Death's chest.
Fury's back.jpg
Grace-liu-nephilim-coloring.jpg|Nephilim Brute from Darksiders Genesis
Grace-liu-nephilimcaster01-deliverable.jpg|Nephilim Vindicator from Darksiders Genesis
Nephilim Concepts by baldi-konijn-nephilim01.jpg|Sketches of the Nephilim from Darksiders Genesis Artbook
Joe Mad Darksiders 2 Absalom Concept.jpg|Absalom Concept by Joe Madureira
Ds2 nephilim cutscene 4.jpg|Nephilim during their world killing crusade
Ds2 nephilim cutscene.jpg|Nephilim Horde
</gallery>

==External links==
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nephilim Nephilim] on Wikipedia.
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Horsemen_of_the_Apocalypse The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse] on Wikipedia.
*[http://www.apocalipsis.org/fourhorsemen.htm] Description of the Four Horsemen along with a discussion on what they may represent.
[[Category:Lore]]
[[Category:Nephilim]]