Shackled Shadow

Shackled Shadow is an epic ground and flying mount added in patch 11.0.2 of The War Within expansion. It is a bronze-tinted shadow elemental shackled by Arathi magic. The mount is purchased from Auralia Steelstrike in Mereldar, Hallowfall, for 11,375 Resonance Crystals at Renown level 23 with the Arathi of Hallowfall faction.

Shackled Shadow shares its model with two other mounts — Beledar's Spawn and Shadow of Doubt — but stands out with its distinctive bronze glow. Your character rides on the back of the elemental, wreathed in swirls of dark energy.

• Guaranteed acquisition — unlike mounts with a percentage drop chance, Shackled Shadow is purchased from a vendor. Once you reach the required Renown and save up the currency, you are guaranteed to get the mount
• Unique theme — shadow elementals are rare among mounts. Shackled Shadow stands out with its dark aesthetic, which suits characters of dark classes especially well — Warlocks, Shadow Priests, Death Knights
• Ground and flying — the mount works both on the ground and in the air. Its speed depends on your riding skill: +60% or +100% on the ground, +150%, +280%, or +310% while flying
• Available to all characters — once purchased, the mount becomes available to all characters on your account through the Warband system
• Earned along the way — Renown with the Arathi of Hallowfall increases as you complete Hallowfall's main content, and Resonance Crystals accumulate across all Khaz Algar zones. You won't have to engage in any separate dedicated farming

To purchase the mount, you must meet two requirements: reach Renown level 23 with the Arathi of Hallowfall faction and accumulate 11,375 Resonance Crystals.

1. Travel to Hallowfall and complete the zone's introductory story questline. This will unlock access to world quests and events
2. Raise your Renown with the Arathi of Hallowfall to level 23. Each Renown level requires 2,500 reputation points
3. At the same time, accumulate Resonance Crystals — they come from numerous sources all across Khaz Algar
4. Once you reach Renown level 23, head to Auralia Steelstrike in Mereldar
5. Purchase the Shackled Shadow for 11,375 Resonance Crystals and use the item to learn the mount

Auralia Steelstrike is the Arathi of Hallowfall quartermaster. She is located in Mereldar, the main settlement of Hallowfall.

Location

Auralia is positioned at the foot of a large wall, below the Mereldar flight master. Look for a round red tent — the vendor stands inside it.

How to Get to Mereldar

1. Use the flight point in Mereldar if you have already unlocked it
2. If this is your first time in the zone, follow the main War Within storyline, which leads you to Hallowfall after the Isle of Dorn and the Ringing Deeps
3. From Dornogal you can use a portal or flight point to reach Hallowfall directly

To reach Renown level 23, you need to earn 57,500 reputation points (23 levels at 2,500 points each). The main sources are listed below.

World Quests (main source)

World quests in Hallowfall refresh regularly. Each quest awards reputation with the Arathi of Hallowfall. Complete all available quests every time you log in.

The Spreading Light Event

This is a special Hallowfall group event available from Renown level 3 and character level 80. The weekly quest "Defender of the Flame" from Keyrra Flametongue in the Shadowed Grove Vineyards awards a substantial amount of reputation.

Weekly Dungeon Quest

Pick up the weekly dungeon quest from Birgot in Dornogal. When completing it, choose the Hallowfall Writ as your reward. Repeat it on alternate characters for additional Resonance Crystals.

Additional Sources

• Rare enemies — killing rare mobs in Hallowfall awards reputation points
• Story quests — completing the Hallowfall campaign grants a one-time significant bonus
• Special tasks — the "Tempered Steel" quest chain from Auralia Steelstrike unlocks additional reputation

Crystals are the shared currency of The War Within expansion, accumulated by completing a variety of content across all Khaz Algar zones. This currency is available to your entire Warband.

Effective Farming Methods

• Dragon races — each race completed with a gold medal in Normal, Reverse, and Advanced modes awards a total of 345 crystals
• Lighting Key Flames — awards 200 crystals each
• Rare enemies — killing rare mobs in the Ringing Deeps, Hallowfall, and on the Isle of Dorn
• Snuffling — a Council of Dornogal system available from Renown level 2. Gather disturbed earth in the three main zones to obtain crystals with no cap
• Weekly dungeon quest — awards 225 crystals. Repeat it on alternate characters
• World quests — in addition to reputation, many world quests reward Resonance Crystals

How Long It Will Take

With active play, completing all world quests and weekly quests, reaching Renown level 23 and accumulating 11,375 crystals takes roughly 3–4 weeks. Using alternate characters for weekly quests significantly speeds up the process.