The Dark Riders are a group of knights controlled by the Lich King, directly or indirectly. Negos is also part of this organization and often leads them.
Dark Riders are often mistaken to be Undead, though, in reality, they are more like Unalive. The first Dark Riders were servants that the Lich King himself made. As the Lich King can't technically raise Undead that are sentient, he used a loophole. He didn't make the Dark Riders from dead bodies but from living and willing individuals. A Dark Rider has to sign a blood contract as part of the ritual, and afterward, they will live the rest of their eternal life as servants of the Lich that created them. They have many unique powers, and they share a telepathic bond with their creator. A Lich can only have four Dark Riders bound to him at any time, one of each type. If a Lich were to try to create more the ritual will fail.Â
If the Lich dies, all their Dark Riders lose their powers and revert back to what they were pre-turning. The Dark Rider Faction consists of all the Dark Riders belonging to a Lich in the Order of the Liches. Any Lich can make Dark Riders, but they won't be part of this faction unless the Lich is part of the Order.
The Dark Riders used to be many different species, but now they are all Dark Riders.
Negos leads the Dark Riders into battle most of the time.
See: Negos, Dark Riders, Order of the Liches