Russet Bufonid

Russet Bufonid is an epic ground mount added in patch 9.2 "Eternity's End" of the Shadowlands expansion. It is a mechanical bufonid toad in a russet coloring, created by the First Ones' Protoform Synthesis system in Zereth Mortis. The mount is crafted at a Protoform Synthesis forge from a special schematic and a set of reagents.

The russet coloring is considered rare among bufonids — in nature it appears only in specimens touched by other cosmic forces. This mount reproduces such coloring artificially, through a special Protoform Synthesis schematic.

• Rare schematic — Schematic: Russet Bufonid drops only from the Patterns Within Patterns rewards of The Enlightened faction, making the mount one of the hardest to obtain among the bufonids
• Unique coloring — the russet color sets this bufonid apart from the other variants (gold, gray or green)
• Collector value — the mount belongs to the bufonid series from Zereth Mortis and is of interest to mount collectors
• Available to all characters — once learned, the mount appears in your Mount Journal and becomes available on every character on your account
• Requires no high riding skill — the "Apprentice Riding" skill is enough to use it

Obtaining the Russet Bufonid consists of several stages: unlocking the Protoform Synthesis system, getting the schematic and gathering the crafting materials.

1. Complete the first three chapters of the "Secrets of the First Ones" campaign in Zereth Mortis
2. Unlock the "Sopranian Understanding" research at the Pocopoc cypher console
3. Complete the quest chain "The Last Sigh" and "A New Archetype", starting with the quest "Finding Tati", to open the mount Protoform Synthesis forge
4. Raise your reputation with The Enlightened to "Exalted" and start earning Patterns Within Patterns rewards
5. Obtain Schematic: Russet Bufonid from an Enlightened Broker's Cache (a Patterns Within Patterns reward)
6. Gather the required materials: 350 Genesis Mote, 1 Lens of Focused Intention and 1 Bufonid Matrix
7. Travel to the mount Protoform Synthesis forge in Zereth Mortis (coordinates 68.5, 30.1) and craft the mount

To craft the Russet Bufonid at the Protoform Synthesis forge you will need three components.

Genesis Mote (350 units)

Genesis Mote is the core Protoform Synthesis resource. They drop from virtually any enemy in Zereth Mortis. The most efficient way to farm motes is in the spots where Devourers mass-spawn — near the blue portals, where allied automa help you in combat. In a single farming session of 30–40 minutes you can gather the required 350 motes.

Lens of Focused Intention (1 unit)

Lens of Focused Intention is a rare reagent sold by Vilo (the Enlightened quartermaster) in Zereth Mortis for 300 gold. The purchase requires "Honored" reputation with the The Enlightened faction. Vilo is located in Haven (coordinates approximately 34.8, 64.2).

Bufonid Matrix (1 unit)

Bufonid Matrix is a lattice that determines the form of the created creature. It drops from bufonids (toads) in Zereth Mortis. Elite and rare bufonids have an increased drop chance. The lattice can also be found in Olea chests or bought from the Auction House.

Protoform Synthesis is the system for creating mounts and battle pets in Zereth Mortis. To craft mounts you must meet a number of conditions.

Step 1 — "Secrets of the First Ones" Campaign

Complete the first three chapters of the Zereth Mortis campaign. This unlocks access to the Pocopoc cypher console and the zone's core systems.

Step 2 — Pocopoc Cypher Console

Research the "Sopranian Understanding" branch at the cypher console. This takes several days, as research requires time. The console is in Haven.

Step 3 — Quest Chain

After completing the "Sopranian Understanding" research, a quest chain becomes available:

1. "Finding Tati" — the starting quest
2. "The Last Sigh" — an intermediate chain
3. "A New Archetype" — the final quest, which opens the mount Protoform Synthesis forge

After completing these quests you will be able to use the forge to craft mounts as long as you have the schematics and materials.

Schematic: Russet Bufonid drops from the Enlightened Broker's Cache — a reward of the Patterns Within Patterns system. You receive such a cache each time you earn 10,000 reputation points beyond "Exalted" with the The Enlightened faction.

Drop Chance

The chance to get the schematic from the cache is low. According to player reports, getting the schematic can require anywhere from 5 to 20 Patterns Within Patterns caches. This means you will have to earn between 50,000 and 200,000 reputation points beyond Exalted.

How to Speed Up Reputation Gains

• Complete the daily world quests in Zereth Mortis — each one grants reputation with The Enlightened
• Collect treasures and kill rare enemies — they also grant reputation
• Complete the weekly quests of Zereth Mortis
• Use the Enlightened contract if available — it grants additional reputation for any world quest
• The "WHEE!" buff from the Darkmoon Faire carousel increases reputation gained by 10%