Shadowmere

Shadowmere is a hardy mount in the video games The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and is used for faster exploration and travel across the world. In Skyrim, this horse is used as an aid for travel in the quest The Cure for Madness by a character named Lucien Lachance. [Note: this quest is part of a chain of quests in the faction The Dark Brotherhood – one of the 15 joinable guilds]. Upon completion of this quest, the player is awarded the mount as their own. Shadowmere spawns out of a black pool with dark smoke and ominous bubbles outside of the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary.

Gameplay
Using Shadowmere makes traveling easy, but he also serves as an incredibly tough fighting partner, providing assistance in combat and dealing 10 damage points per strike. He will relentlessly defend the player character, attacking any enemies in sight. Shadowmere, like other horses, also provides the option of mounted combat. With an extremely fast health regeneration time, twice the stamina and six times the health of the native Skyrim draft horses rendering him nearly immortal, Shadowmere is the most resilient mount out of all the horses in Skyrim. However, Shadowmere can be killed in extreme fights and falls from high altitudes. If he does die, he will respawn 10 in-game days later (either at the location of his death or in the pool where he initially spawns from).

In combat, Shadowmere rears on his hind legs and kicks out at his enemies. He can walk, trot, canter, gallop, jump and even swim. Skyrim horses possess an incredible climbing ability, and players often find it helpful when scaling tough mountains in the world. Whenever the Dragonborn fast travels, Shadowmere will appear at the destination.

Appearance
Shadowmere, like the regular Skyrim mounts, is a tough draft horse that is large in stature. He has a dark brown shagged coat to withstand the harsh Skyrim winters and stands roughly around the same height as the normal horses. His attire includes a fancier saddle, a saddle pad bearing the hand prints of the Dark Brotherhood, a bejeweled bridle, and a breastplate native to him. But what truly distinguishes him from the other mounts are his glowing red eyes – an intimidating feature signifying that he is a force to be reckoned with. This distinctive attribute has led to the title of "Demon Horse" according to some people.