Onyx Cloud Serpent

Onyx Cloud Serpent is an epic flying mount added in patch 5.0.4 of the Mists of Pandaria expansion. It is a black cloud serpent with a sleek, sinuous body and dark purple accents — one of several cloud serpents available through the factions of Pandaria.

The mount is a reward for completing the quest Surprise Attack! in the Townlong Steppes. To unlock this quest, you must reach Exalted reputation with the Shado-Pan faction.

• Striking appearance — a black cloud serpent with an elegant model that stands out from the other color variants (azure, crimson, gold, jade)
• Achievement reward — completing Surprise Attack! grants the achievement "Defender of the Gods"
• Part of the cloud serpent collection — a great addition to the Mists of Pandaria mount series
• Guaranteed acquisition — this is not a random drop but a quest reward. Once you reach Exalted with the Shado-Pan, the mount is yours
• Counts toward your overall total of collected mounts for the achievements in the "Mountain o' Mounts" series

• A character at level 10 or higher
• Riding skill: Expert Riding for flight
• Exalted reputation with the Shado-Pan faction
• Completion of the quest Mogu Incursions, which precedes the final task

Note: previously, using cloud serpents required a separate "Cloud Serpent Riding" skill from the Order of the Cloud Serpent. This restriction was removed in later patches — flying the Onyx Cloud Serpent now requires only the standard riding skill.

Acquiring the mount involves two stages: grinding Shado-Pan reputation up to Exalted and completing a short chain of two quests.

Stage 1 — Shado-Pan Reputation to Exalted

The Shado-Pan faction are the elite guardians of Pandaria, based at the Shado-Pan Garrison in the Townlong Steppes.

1. Begin the story chain in Kun-Lai. The quest "Defend the Shado-Pan Lines" at Kun-Lai Summit will grant you access to the faction
2. Complete the story quests in the Townlong Steppes — they grant a significant one-time reputation bonus and bring you up to roughly Honored
3. Daily quests — the main source of reputation after finishing the story line. Each day you can complete quests from one of three NPCs at the Shado-Pan Garrison: Lin of the Six Lakes, Master Snowdrift, or Bandit Hidden Master. Each set grants about 1,350 reputation points per day
4. Buy the Grand Commendation of the Shado-Pan from the faction quartermaster Rushi the Fox once you reach Honored. The commendation doubles the reputation earned for all characters on your account

Stage 2 — The Mount Quest Chain

After reaching Exalted with the Shado-Pan:

1. Head to the Shado-Pan Garrison in the Townlong Steppes
2. Pick up the quest Mogu Incursions from Master Snowdrift. This is a simple task tied to repelling a mogu invasion
3. Complete it and pick up the final quest Surprise Attack!
4. Meet Bandit Hidden Master outside the Niuzao Temple in the Townlong Steppes
5. Stop the mogu invasion — the quest plays out as an event in which you fight off the attack alongside the NPCs
6. Defeat the final boss, Hei Feng — an elite level 93 cloud serpent with 8.7 million health. He uses the ability Serpent Sweep — a cone attack with a 2.5-second cast that knocks the character back. Dodge it by stepping out of its area of effect
7. Turn in the quest and receive the Reins of the Onyx Cloud Serpent as your reward

The Shado-Pan Garrison is located in the southwestern part of the Townlong Steppes. It is the faction's main base, home to the quest givers and the quartermaster.

Ways to Get There

1. Through the portal to Pandaria — from your faction's capital (Stormwind or Orgrimmar), use the portal to the Jade Forest, then fly west into the Townlong Steppes
2. Through the Shrine — if your hearthstone is set in the Shrine of Seven Stars (Alliance) or the Shrine of Two Moons (Horde) in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms, fly northwest through Kun-Lai into the Townlong Steppes
3. Through the Chromie system — if your character is leveling through the Mists of Pandaria timeline, you will arrive in Pandaria automatically as the story progresses

The total number of points needed to reach Exalted is 42,000 from Neutral. The story quests will cover a significant portion of the way.

Daily Quests

At the Shado-Pan Garrison, one of three sets of daily quests is available each day (they rotate randomly):

Each set consists of several quests and yields about 1,350 reputation points.

Dungeons and Scenarios

In Mists of Pandaria, the first random dungeon of the day run with Shado-Pan gear grants additional reputation points. Pandaria scenarios also award reputation.

Reputation Boosters

• Grand Commendation of the Shado-Pan — purchased at Honored from the quartermaster Rushi the Fox for 50 gold. Doubles reputation earned across all characters on the account
• Darkmoon Faire — the "WHEE!" buff from the carousel (+10% reputation for 60 minutes)
• Banner of Cooperation — a guild bonus of +10% reputation

Estimated Timelines