Anointed Protostag Reins

Anointed Protostag Reins is a ground mount added to World of Warcraft in the Shadowlands expansion (patch 9.2.0 "Eternity's End"). It is a graceful pink-and-gray protostag — a primordial creature of Zereth Mortis that embodies the aesthetic of the First Ones. The model is unique to Zereth Mortis and is also used by its color variations.

The mount is purchased from the vendor Vilo — the quartermaster of The Enlightened faction in the village of Haven. The cost is 5,000 units of Reservoir Anima, and unlocking the purchase requires Revered standing with The Enlightened. This makes the mount a classic reputation reward rather than a drop, so obtaining it is guaranteed once you gather the required reputation.

• Guaranteed acquisition — unlike mounts with a drop chance, Anointed Protostag Reins is purchased directly. Once you reach Revered with The Enlightened and save up anima, you get the mount with no RNG
• Speed 10 out of 10 — the mount gains a +60% or +100% movement speed bonus depending on your riding skill, matching the maximum ground standard
• Unique Zereth Mortis model — the protostag is a primal form created by the First Ones: strict lines, sacred patterns, an otherworldly glow. The model does not visually repeat outside of the patch 9.2 zone
• Account-wide — once obtained, the mount unlocks on every character on your account, regardless of faction and class
• Easy target for collectors — Shadowlands content remains open at max level in The War Within, and the mount can be earned at a relaxed pace over a few weeks without a group or difficult trials

The main path is to grind reputation with The Enlightened up to Revered, accumulate 5,000 Reservoir Anima, and buy the mount from Vilo in Haven.

1. Unlock the Zereth Mortis zone. To do this you must complete the key Shadowlands story chapters and pick up the starting quest for patch 9.2.0 in Oribos
2. Complete the "Eternity's End" story campaign. Its seven chapters are unlocked one per week and together grant about 4,050 reputation with The Enlightened
3. Complete the world quests of Zereth Mortis daily. Each world quest grants 125 reputation points, and several quests are usually available at once
4. Each week, pick up the quest Patterns Within Patterns from Pocopoc in Haven. This quest grants 1,250 reputation — the largest weekly gain
5. Kill the rare creatures of Zereth Mortis: each regular one grants 10 reputation, while rares from the Endless Sands area grant 15 reputation
6. In parallel, stockpile Reservoir Anima — world quests, rare mobs, and chests of Zereth Mortis grant from 35 to 140 anima per activity
7. Upon reaching Revered, visit Vilo in the village of Haven and purchase Anointed Protostag Reins for 5,000 anima

To buy the mount you must meet two conditions at once: reach Revered with The Enlightened and accumulate 5,000 anima. Both are achieved in parallel as you progress through the patch 9.2 content.

• "Eternity's End" story campaign — mandatory for the first 4,050 reputation and unlocks the weekly quest Patterns Within Patterns. Chapters are released one per week, so speeding up campaign progress is impossible
• The third campaign chapter unlocks the weekly quest Patterns Within Patterns — the main source of reputation gain after the campaign is finished
• Reservoir Anima drops from world quests, rare mobs, and chests of Zereth Mortis. The goal is 5,000 units by the time you reach Revered
• Character level — the mount requires only level 10, but access to Zereth Mortis opens only after completing the Shadowlands intro chain and starting patch 9.2.0

Zereth Mortis is the final zone of Shadowlands, opened in patch 9.2. Access to it does not require an active Shadowlands subscription and works on any character that has completed the expansion's base campaign.

1. Complete the base Shadowlands campaign and choose a covenant (any)
2. Pick up the patch 9.2.0 quest chain in Oribos — the starting quest is given by an NPC right after the portal. The quest will guide you to Zereth Mortis itself
3. Your first encounter with the zone will take place in Haven — that is also where the quartermaster Vilo is located
4. For a quick return, use the portal from Oribos or the Kyrian Hearthstone set to the Shadowlands waypoints

How to gain reputation quickly

• Complete all available world quests every day — that is 3 × 125 = 375 reputation per day
• Do not skip the weekly quest Patterns Within Patterns — 1,250 reputation per week
• Include a route for the rare mobs of Zereth Mortis in your daily circuit — 10–15 reputation each, some available once per day
• With plenty of free time, add hunting rares in the Endless Sands: 15 reputation each speeds up progress to Revered by about a week

Weekly cycle

Reputation and anima accumulate in parallel, so a smart weekly plan minimizes the time until you can buy the mount.

1. On reset day, pick up Patterns Within Patterns and begin completing it
2. Daily, clear all the world quests of Zereth Mortis — they grant both reputation and anima
3. In parallel, collect the chests along your route — they respawn and have no daily limit
4. Check the zone's rare mob list — each rare may grant a unique drop and additional anima

Time estimate

Fully completing the campaign and the weekly and daily quests, reaching Revered with The Enlightened takes about 32 days. Adding rare hunting shortens it to 27 days. Accumulating 5,000 anima in parallel happens faster and usually does not become the limiting factor.

Anima farms

• World quests grant 35–140 anima each
• Chests in Zereth Mortis grant 35 anima and up and are not capped daily
• The daily Cypher chain also periodically rewards anima
• Rare mobs grant anima plus reputation — double profit