Reins of the Sundered Zerethsteed

Reins of the Sundered Zerethsteed is an epic ground mount added to World of Warcraft in the Shadowlands expansion (patch 9.2 "Eternity's End"). It is a majestic protoform stag with a dark, Maw-tainted coloring: black fur, a crimson glow on its antlers, and the metallic sheen on its tack that is characteristic of the Mawsworn. In lore, the steed is a protoform deer corrupted by the invasion of the Maw's forces into the sacred realm of Zereth Mortis.

The mount is created through the Protoform Synthesis system, a crafting mechanic that lets players assemble mounts and companions from reagents found in Zereth Mortis and the Sepulcher of the First Ones raid. Crafting requires three components: a schematic, two unique reagents (the Mawforged Bridle and the Cervid Lattice) and 300 Genesis Motes.

The stag model is shared by three other mounts — the Anointed Protostag, the Deathrunner and the Pale Regal Stag — all of which are crafted in the same way but with different colorings and different relic reagents.

• Unique dark coloring — the steed stands apart from the three other stags with a grim, Maw-"infected" palette that pairs well with dark armor sets and a death knight or warlock transmog
• Speed 10 out of 10 — the ground mount gains +60% or +100% movement speed depending on your riding skill and moves at the maximum speed of normal ground transport
• Collector's achievement — an entry into the Protoform Synthesis collection that fully unlocks across the four stag schematics and adds achievements for collecting Zereth Mortis mounts
• Account-wide — once obtained, the mount unlocks for every character on the account regardless of faction and class
• One of the last Shadowlands mounts — if you are completing the expansion's collection or running Shadowlands content for achievements, this mount fits well into your list of weekly goals alongside other Sepulcher of the First Ones raid rewards
• Fully repeatable craft — unlike many rare mounts, there is no element of chance at the final stage: gather the three components and you get the mount guaranteed

The main path is to gather three reagents and the schematic, then use the Protoform Forge in Zereth Mortis. The steps are as follows.

1. At max level, fly into Zereth Mortis. You can enter the zone through the Enclave in Oribos after the brief introductory quest chain of patch 9.2
2. Complete the Zereth Mortis story line up to the point where Pocopoc grants you access to the Protoform Synthesis system. This requires finishing the Tributary quest chain, which opens after researching several Cypher concepts
3. Unlock the second Protoform Forge for crafting mounts through the "In Search of Tali" quest chain, which leads you from the Pilgrim's Grace to the Cypher Arsenal
4. Head to the Endless Sands location at coordinates 60.5, 30.5 and pick up the Schematic: Sundered Zerethsteed from a Mawsworn Cache. The schematic lies on the ground between two cages, next to a group of regular mobs — clear them before picking it up
5. You receive the quest Schematic Reassimilation: Sundered Zerethsteed, which starts automatically when you pick up the schematic. The task is to bring the schematic to the Protoform Forge
6. Gather the reagents: the Mawforged Bridle, the Cervid Lattice and 300 Genesis Motes
7. Approach the Protoform Forge (a mighty forge by the cave in the western part of the Cypher Arsenal) and craft the Reins of the Sundered Zerethsteed

To create the mount at the Protoform Forge you need to gather three components.

To access the crafting of a Protoform Synthesis mount it is not enough to simply fly into the zone — you need to unlock the entire system.

• Character level: the expansion's max level (60 in the original 9.2; in Midnight the zone scales automatically to level 90)
• Access to Zereth Mortis opened: complete the introductory chain of patch 9.2, which begins in Oribos at Prince Renathal
• Basic Protoform Synthesis learned: complete the chain from Pocopoc to the Protoform Synthesis quest, which unlocks the first forge for pets
• Protoform Forge for mounts opened: you will need to research the Tributary concept and complete the "In Search of Tali" chain from the Pilgrim's Grace through the Cypher Arsenal
• Gold and bags: bring free space for 300 reagents and several turn-in items. It is handy to have a Hearthstone tied to the Sepulcher of the First Ones or a teleport to Oribos

Genesis Motes

The main currency of Zereth Mortis. Drops from the overwhelming majority of mobs, can be fished from the zone's and the Sepulcher's bodies of water, and is awarded for quests and events. 300 of them are gathered in 30–60 minutes of active field farming. Best zones: the Genesis Field (center of the map), the Bastion of the First Ones and the roaming Mawsworn patrols.

Mawforged Bridle

The most difficult reagent. It is a guaranteed drop from the High Value Cache in the Sepulcher of the First Ones raid — a hidden chest before the chamber of Artificer Xy'mox. For the chest to appear, you need to defeat Skolex while a debug effect is on him. The cache is unavailable in LFR mode and has a weekly lockout. With a rare chance, the bridle also drops from Olea Caches, which are bought for 700 Cyphers of the First Ones from a vendor in Haven.

Cervid Lattice

Drops from the protoform deer scattered across Zereth Mortis (primarily in the Glade of Creation and the Grove of Elune areas). The drop chance is small, but farming usually takes 20–40 minutes. An alternative source is the Protoform Vault chest next to the Protoform Forge, which gives one guaranteed lattice after unlocking mount crafting, as well as Olea Caches.

Weekly Cycle

• On Monday (EU) or Tuesday (NA), enter the Sepulcher of the First Ones on Normal, Heroic or Mythic difficulty and grab the High Value Cache. One attempt per week per character
• Right after that, head to the Endless Sands for the schematic if you have not picked it up yet
• While you run around Zereth Mortis on other business (world quests, rare mobs, chests), farm Genesis Motes and the Cervid Lattice in parallel
• If you are short on resources, buy Olea Caches for Cyphers of the First Ones; each cache has a chance at any reagent

Multi-Farming on Alts

All Protoform Synthesis reagents are account-bound — this means alts can noticeably speed up the collection. This especially applies to the Mawforged Bridle: every character who has Protoform Synthesis unlocked and who has killed Skolex can grab their own High Value Cache once a week.

• Unlock Protoform Synthesis on every alt where possible — the chain takes about 2–3 hours but fully pays off
• Transfer the reagents to your main character via the shared bank or the mail
• Lattices and motes can also be bought at the auction house if you want to close out the craft in a single go

Buying Reagents at the Auction House

Genesis Motes, the Cervid Lattice and the Mawforged Bridle are freely traded at the auction house. In the current TWW 11.1, prices for Shadowlands reagents have dropped noticeably, so if you have enough gold it is easier to buy up the missing components than to farm them from scratch. Check the prices before heading into the raid — sometimes the bridle costs less than an hour of active farming.