The Russet Bufonid is a uniquely colored toad mount from Zereth Mortis, distinguished by its rare reddish-brown hue. In the lore of the First Ones, this color is typically a sign of corruption by other cosmic forces—or the result of a particularly perplexing schematic. For collectors who appreciate the oddities of Protoform Synthesis and want a mount that stands out from the other bufonids, the Russet Bufonid is a frustratingly charming goal.
Introduced in patch 9.2.0 "Eternity's End", this mount is crafted at the Protoform Repository. Unlike other Zereth Mortis crafts that require hunting a specific rare mob or finding a treasure, the Russet Bufonid demands something far more patience-testing: a random drop from a Paragon reputation cache. This makes it one of the more RNG-dependent mounts in the zone, but the guaranteed craft at the end makes the grind worthwhile for dedicated collectors.
The Russet Bufonid is crafted at the Protoform Synthesis system in Zereth Mortis. To craft it, you will need the following materials:
Before you can craft the mount, you must unlock the Protoform Synthesis system, reach Exalted with The Enlightened, and acquire the schematic from a Paragon cache. The craft itself is 100% guaranteed, but the schematic is not.
Access to Zereth Mortis requires you to have completed Chapter 2 of the 9.1 (Korthia) campaign, ending with the quest Charge of the Covenants. Once done, you will receive a popup to begin the Zereth Mortis campaign. A portal to the zone appears on the top floor of Oribos after completing This Old Waystone. If you need to return before finishing that quest, speak to Tal-Inara in Oribos.
To unlock the crafting system, you must progress through the 9.2 campaign up to the end of Chapter 3. This grants you the quest Cyphers of the First Ones, which introduces the Cypher Console. This console is powered by Cyphers of the First Ones, a currency you will need to research the necessary nodes.
Earning Cyphers of the First Ones:
To reach the Protoform Repository, you must advance through the Cypher Console research tree. Note the lengthy research timers:
The Protoform Repository is located at:
Protoform Repository
Protoform Repository
To learn the craft, you need the Schematic: Russet Bufonid. This is the main bottleneck. The schematic drops from Enlightened Broker Supplies, which is the Paragon cache for The Enlightened. You receive this cache every 10,000 reputation after reaching Exalted. The drop is not guaranteed, so you may need to open multiple caches before it appears.
Secondly, you need the Lens of Focused Intention. This is sold by Vilo, the Enlightened Quartermaster in Haven, for 32 gold. It requires Revered reputation to purchase.
Reaching Exalted (and then farming the Paragon caches) is the core of this grind. Here are the most reliable sources of reputation:
To speed up the grind to Exalted and the subsequent Paragon caches, stack these buffs:
You need 1 Bufonid Lattice. These can be bought on the Auction House or farmed from Bufonid mobs in Zereth Mortis.
You need 350 Genesis Motes. These are Bind-on-Pickup and drop from almost every mob in the zone. The Devourer portal farm spot is highly efficient.
With the schematic learned and all materials gathered, return to the Protoform Repository at /way 68.5 30.1. Interact with the Servitor Interface, select the Russet Bufonid, and complete the craft.
The Russet Bufonid grind is split between reputation farming and waiting for a lucky cache. These addons help streamline the process.
Pro tip: Use World Quest Tracker to quickly clear all Zereth Mortis World Quests on a daily basis. Combined with the weekly Patterns Within Patterns quest, this is the most consistent way to push toward those 10,000-reputation Paragon caches.
