Gruesome Flayedwing Mount Guide

The Gruesome Flayedwing is a grotesque, two-headed chimaera whose patchwork hide and tattered wings embody the grim, survival-of-the-fittest nature of Maldraxxus. Its skeletal frame, leathery wings, and the unsettling way it moves make it a favourite among collectors who appreciate mounts with a dark, monstrous aesthetic. The flavour text speaks to its combat utility: "The flayedwings of Maldraxxus are prized for their ability to soar effortlessly through the skies of the Shadowlands, allowing their rider a surprise opportunity to strike at their foes or support their allies." For collectors who value prestige and the satisfaction of a long-term Covenant progression, this mount is a true trophy — a symbol of your dedication to the Shadowlands and your mastery over one of its four Covenants.

Introduced in patch 9.0.1 as part of the Shadowlands expansion, the Gruesome Flayedwing is unique among mounts because it can be obtained by members of any of the four Covenants — but the method differs significantly for each one. Whether you're a Kyrian challenging the Path of Ascension, a Necrolord stitching together abominations, a Night Fae nurturing your Queen's Conservatory, or a Venthyr hosting the Ember Court, there is a path to this mount for you. This guide covers all four methods in detail so you can choose the one that best suits your playstyle.

• Added in patch: 9.0.1 "Shadowlands"
• Mount type: Flying
• Source: Covenant Feature (varies by Covenant)
• Covenant: All four
• Requirements: Varies by Covenant (see methods below)

How to Get Gruesome Flayedwing

The Gruesome Flayedwing is one of the few mounts in Shadowlands that can be obtained through any Covenant, but the acquisition method is tied to each Covenant's unique special feature. Below, we break down all four methods so you can decide which path is right for you.

Joining a Covenant

If you are not already a member of a Covenant, you must first join one. This becomes available after you complete the main Shadowlands campaign and finish the quest Choosing Your Purpose in Oribos, where you pledge your allegiance to a Covenant. The Gruesome Flayedwing can be obtained by any Covenant, but the method varies as detailed below.

Method 1: Kyrian (Path of Ascension)

The Kyrian method involves unlocking the Path of Ascension, a boss-rush style Colosseum available to members of the Kyrian Covenant. In this mini-game, you don't control your character directly — you control your Kyrian Soulbinds in combat.

Step 1: Unlock the Path of Ascension. Access is unlocked by purchasing the first-tier upgrade from Haephus, the Sanctum Upgrades facilitator in Elysian Hold.

Step 2: Upgrade to Tier 2. After unlocking the Path of Ascension, you must further upgrade it to Tier 2 ("Sacred Trials"). This upgrade is required to access additional bosses and unlock the weekly quests needed to progress toward the achievement. Without Tier 2, you will be limited in the bosses you can challenge and will not be able to complete the necessary requirements.

Step 3: Complete the Achievement. You need to complete All The Colors of the Painbow. To do this, you must defeat Mad Mortimer while under the effects of "Flaming Veins", "Deep Freeze", and "Uncontrollable Vomiting" simultaneously.

Important: At max level, this achievement can be problematic — the debuff effects may not apply to high-level characters. Check current information on the forums before attempting, as there are many tips on Wowhead for dealing with this at max level.

Step 4: Purchase the Mount. Once you have the achievement, speak to Binkiros in Elysian Hold and purchase the Gruesome Flayedwing for 2,500 Reservoir Anima.

Method 2: Necrolords (Abomination Factory)

The Necrolord method is arguably the most straightforward. Join the Necrolord Covenant and unlock the Abomination Factory in Maldraxxus.

The Abomination Factory is a unique Necrolord Covenant feature that allows you to stitch together construct companions from the souls you rescue in the Shadowlands. To unlock it, head inside the Seat of the Primus and speak to Arkadia Moa in the main hall on the left side, near the Renown Quartermaster. She handles all Sanctum Upgrades.

Next, you need to raise your reputation with the Stitchmasters to Exalted. Reputation is earned by creating abominations and completing Factory quests. The more abominations you create, the more quests you'll have access to. Below is a table with all the information you need about each abomination:

Once you reach Exalted, find the vendor Atticus and purchase the Gruesome Flayedwing for 5,000 Reservoir Anima.

Method 3: Night Fae (Queen's Conservatory)

Join the Night Fae Covenant and unlock the Queen's Conservatory in Ardenweald.

Access is unlocked by researching the first tier of "The Queen's Conservatory" from Zayhad, The Builder, the Sanctum Upgrades facilitator. Later, you will speak to Zayhad again to upgrade your Conservatory. Ultimately, you will need to upgrade it to Rank 5. Below is a table with the requirements for each rank:

Spirits

Once your Queen's Conservatory is upgraded, you will need one of the following spirits:

• Martial Spirit — Martial Spirit
• Greater Martial Spirit — Greater Martial Spirit
• Divine Martial Spirit — Divine Martial Spirit

Spirits can be obtained from activities in the Shadowlands, specifically:

• Weekly quests in the Maw often reward Greater Spirits and at Conservatory Tier 4, Divine Spirits.
• Rares, Dailies, and Objectives in the Maw sometimes reward Uncommon Spirits.
• Adventure Missions can offer Greater Spirits.
• Fair Exchange for a Soul weekly quest at the Queen's Conservatory gives you a choice of a Greater Spirit.
• A Legendary Spirit becomes available when upgrading the Queen's Conservatory to Tier 2, 3, and 4. These are the only known Legendary Spirits.

A higher-quality spirit increases the drop probability of the mount.

Wildseed Root Grain

If you need to farm Wildseed Root Grain in large quantities, this method drastically cuts the waiting time between harvests. It requires your Queen's Conservatory to be upgraded with at least two Wildseeds and three Anima Catalyst Plots — two outer plots and one in the middle that connects to both.

Step 1: Go to the plot closest to the entrance of your Queen's Conservatory. It must have two Wildseeds, each with its own Anima Catalyst Plot, and a third plot in-between that connects to both Wildseeds.

Step 2: Infuse Temporal Leaves in the middle Anima Catalyst Plot, then infuse Wild Nightbloom in the other two plots.

Note: Catalysts will remain active for 12 hours.

Step 3: Infuse your two Wildseeds with Wildseed Root Grain Seeds.

Note: Without the Temporal Leaves catalyst, you would wait 24 hours to harvest. With the catalyst, you only wait 1 hour.

Step 4: After 1 hour, harvest your Wildseed Root Grain. Thanks to the Wild Nightbloom catalyst, you will get 2+ from each Wildseed.

Step 5: Repeat Steps 3 and 4 for the full 12-hour duration of your catalysts, or for however long you have available to play. This lets you farm as many Wildseed Root Grain as you need, quickly and in large quantities.

Important: This method is luck-based — the mount is not guaranteed in a single attempt. You will have to repeat the incubation several times.

Method 4: Venthyr (Ember Court)

Join the Venthyr Covenant and unlock the Ember Court in Revendreth. The Ember Court is the unique Covenant Sanctum feature of the Venthyr Covenant. In this daily mini-game, players host a party, inviting famous Shadowlands NPCs, arranging catering and entertainment, dealing with party crashers, and more.

Each day, you'll be given a list of guests that you can have attend your next Ember Court. You'll then travel around the Shadowlands, earning these guests' RSVPs and preparing the event for your upcoming Ember Court. Once you've finalized your guest list, entertainment, staff, decor, and refreshments, you can begin the Ember Court scenario.

In the Ember Court scenario, you will have limited time to interact with your guests and staff and complete activities to set the atmosphere of your Court and improve guest happiness. The happier a guest is by the end of the scenario, the more reputation you'll gain, and the more rewards they will bestow upon you.

The catch, however, is that each of the guests has their own unique set of preferences that often conflict with other guests. You have limited time to get everything done, so it will be difficult to make everyone happy. Much planning and decision-making will have to be made both before and during each Ember Court.

Visit Foreman Flatfinger, the Sanctum Upgrades facilitator in Sinfall, to unlock and later upgrade the Ember Court. You will need to upgrade it to Rank 3.

As you progress, you will also earn reputation with The Ember Court faction, allowing you to unlock additional features. Once you've researched Tier 1, Theotar will have a quest for you in Sinfall. You'll be given a tutorial on how the Ember Court works, and you'll get a practice run to familiarize you with the basic mechanics.

After the tutorials, Temel, above ground at Sinfall, will offer you the weekly quest The Ember Court, allowing you to start your first real Ember Court.

Alexandros Mograine

Once you've learned how the Ember Court works, you need to invite Alexandros Mograine, a guest from Maldraxxus, to the Court session. Raise your relationship level with Alexandros Mograine to maximum ("Best Friend"). Hold a Court session and open the reward chest.

The mount may drop from the chest with a certain chance. Higher-quality chests increase the probability. According to Wowhead comments, some players have reported receiving the mount on their first invitation to Mograine, even without maxing out his relationship level, so it may be tied to a random chance in his reward cache rather than your reputation with him.

Which Method to Choose?

Recommendation: If you want the mount guaranteed, choose the Necrolords — it is the simplest and most straightforward path. The Abomination Factory requires only rank 1, and reputation with the Stitchmasters is earned through normal use of the Factory. The Kyrian method is also guaranteed, but the achievement can cause trouble at max level.

Extra Tips and Common Mistakes

• Choose your Covenant wisely: If your only goal is the Gruesome Flayedwing, the Necrolord path is the most reliable. The Kyrian path is also guaranteed but can be frustrating at max level due to the achievement's debuff requirements.
• Start early on reputation: Whether you choose Necrolords or Venthyr, reputation grinding is the main time sink. Begin building your Abomination Factory or hosting Ember Courts as soon as possible.
• Use a spirit of higher quality: For the Night Fae method, a higher-quality spirit (Greater or Divine) increases the drop chance of the mount from the Wildseed. Don't settle for Uncommon spirits if you can get better ones.
• Maximize your Ember Court guests: For the Venthyr method, inviting more guests and keeping them happy increases your rewards. Focus on Alexandros Mograine and maximize his relationship level to improve your chances.
• Check Wowhead comments for current information: Some methods have changed over time. The Kyrian achievement, in particular, has known issues at max level. Check Wowhead comments for the latest tips and workarounds.
• This mount is account-wide: Once learned, the mount is available to all your characters, regardless of their Covenant.

Useful Addons for Farming Gruesome Flayedwing

Regardless of which Covenant method you choose, the right addons can help you track your progress, manage your Covenant features, and stay organised.

• AltVault: Covenants: The most useful addon for tracking Covenant progression. It displays your Renown level, Sanctum Anima reserve, Redeemed Souls amounts, and Sanctum upgrade status all in one place. Essential for keeping track of your Abomination Factory, Queen's Conservatory, or Ember Court upgrades.
• HandyNotes: Shadowlands: Marks rare spawns, treasures, and points of interest on your map. Useful for farming Anima and Redeemed Souls to upgrade your Covenant features.
• TomTom / Paste: Quickly set waypoints to key NPCs and locations for all four Covenant methods.
• World Quest Tracker: Shows all available world quests on a single panel, helping you quickly identify Anima and reputation opportunities.
• SavedInstances: Tracks which characters have completed weekly quests and Covenant activities. Useful if you're managing multiple characters across different Covenants.
• Leatrix Plus: Quality-of-life improvements like auto-repair, auto-sell junk, and faster interactions — small time savers that add up over a long grind.

Pro tip: Use AltVault: Covenants to track your Anima and Redeemed Souls reserves. This is especially important for the Necrolord and Night Fae methods, where you need to upgrade your Sanctum feature to a specific rank.