Harbingers of Death

The Bringers of the First Evil, or Harbingers of Death, are the acolytes of the First Evil in Joss Whedon's TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

The Harbingers of Death, also known coloquially as Bringers, are the high priests and foot soldiers for the non-corporeal First Evil. These demons are former humans that have been corrupted by the First and transformed into demons through rituals that include self-mutilation. Though Bringers are blind, with eyelids covered by rune-like scars, and incapable of speech, having their tongues ripped out, they are perfectly aware of their surroundings. According to Caleb, who would become their "teacher", Bringers are incapable of sweating, and instead they pant.

While not well known among other demons, a few demonologists have written records on these demons, having taken special notice in the poisonous aura Bringers have, which is capable of rendering ground and living beings sterile:

"For they are the harbingers of death, nothing shall grow above or below them, no seed shall flower, neither in Man nor..."

Despite their apparent disabilities, Bringers are swift assassins capable of highly organized attacks thanks to their collective consciousness, which is under the control of the First. Besides their deadly fighting skills, Bringers are also capable of summoning manifestations of the First to haunt people, and create psychic links between dreamers through their dark rituals.

In season 7, The First declared war on the Slayer line. The Bringers became assassins of potential slayers around the world. When the First set up camp in Sunnydale, Bringers begin to swarm the town to hunt down arriving potentials and to unearth the Scythe, a mystic weapon created by Guardians, ancient, powerful women who cared for the Slayer.