The Scarlet Helicid is a striking, crimson-shelled automaton that scuttles across the landscapes of Zereth Mortis. Its vibrant, ruby-like shell and mechanical, spiraling form stand out sharply against the golden hues of the First Ones' realm, making it a highly sought-after prize for collectors who love the Protoform Synthesis aesthetic. The flavour text hints at its unique origin: "The helicids of Zereth Mortis were created by the First Ones to maintain the balance of the realm. This one seems to have absorbed a rather vibrant hue." For collectors who enjoy a mix of exploration, puzzle-solving, and a bit of daily RNG, the Scarlet Helicid is a beautiful and rewarding mount to add to your stable.
Introduced in patch 9.2.0 "Eternity's End", the Scarlet Helicid is crafted at the Protoform Repository. While it shares the same core crafting system as its bronze counterpart, obtaining its components requires a different approach. You will need to hunt down a rare spawn inside a cooperative puzzle room and hope for a daily drop, adding a layer of persistence to the process. For players who appreciate a crafting journey that takes them across the map and into hidden caves, this mount is an excellent target.
The Scarlet Helicid mount is crafted via the Protoform Synthesis system in Zereth Mortis. It is crafted by combining 350 Genesis Motes, 1 Revelation Key, and 1 Helicid Lattice at the Protoform Repository.
However, before you can craft the mount, you must complete several prerequisites: unlock the Protoform Synthesis system, obtain the schematic, and gather all the required materials. This is a 100% guaranteed acquisition once you have everything — there is no RNG involved in the crafting itself, only in obtaining the schematic and materials.
Before you can begin your journey to obtain the Scarlet Helicid, you must first gain access to Zereth Mortis. To get there, you must have completed Chapter 2 in the 9.1 (Korthia) campaign. The last quest required is Charge of the Covenants. After it is completed, you should get a popup to start the Zereth Mortis (9.2) campaign. You get a portal to Zereth Mortis on the top floor of Oribos after completing the quest This Old Waystone, which is part of the campaign.
If you leave Zereth Mortis before completing that quest, you can speak to Tal-Inara in Oribos to return.
To unlock Protoform Synthesis, you must complete up to the end of Chapter 3 in the 9.2 campaign. You will receive the quest Cyphers of the First Ones, which unlocks the Cypher Console. The Cypher Console is powered by Cyphers of the First Ones, a currency earned from various activities in Zereth Mortis.
How to earn Cyphers of the First Ones:
To unlock the Protoform Repository, you must progress through the Cypher Console research tree. The total cost and time investment is significant, so plan accordingly:
The Protoform Repository is located at the following coordinates:
Protoform Repository
Protoform Repository
Your first task is to secure the Schematic: Scarlet Helicid, which unlocks the crafting recipe at the Protoform Repository. You can find this schematic on Antecedent Isle (the same island where the World Boss resides), perched high up on the large archway. To locate it, head to the top of the left-hand slope (just before the golden section) while facing the World Boss as you enter the isle. You won't need flying to get here, as you can simply walk up the hill.
Before you can head to the Protoform Repository, you need to gather the specific reagents for this mount. Alongside the standard Genesis Motes and Helicid Lattice, you will also need to hunt down a rare drop for the Revelation Key.
The Revelation Key is a rare drop from the Protector of the First Ones in the Terrace of Formation. The rare is hidden inside a cave, but the entrance is sealed by a two-person barrier. To open it, you and a partner must look at the glowing sigils next to the doorway, locate the matching Mysterious Sigil nearby, and bring them back to the entrance. If you are playing solo, you can bypass the barrier by dying just outside it and resurrecting inside the room. Alternatively, if the rare is currently dead, the barrier will be down—you can simply wait inside the cave for it to respawn. Be aware that this rare has a daily loot lockout, meaning you only get one chance per character each day.
You will need to acquire a Helicid Lattice. Your fastest route is to simply buy one from the Auction House. If you want to save gold and farm it manually, you can try your luck killing Helicid mobs around Zereth Mortis, though the drop rate is quite low.
Finally, you need a stockpile of 350 Genesis Motes. Since these are Bind-on-Pickup, you have to farm them yourself from the mobs of Zereth Mortis. A very efficient location to do this is the blue portal area, where Devourers spawn endlessly and friendly automa NPCs assist in taking them down quickly.
After you have gathered all of the required materials, head over to the Protoform Repository. You can now craft your Scarlet Helicid
Since the Revelation Key is tied to a rare mob with a strict daily loot lockout, relying on a single character can make this step feel frustrating if your luck is poor. This is where having alts becomes highly beneficial.
Because the daily lockout is per character, you can park multiple level 60+ alts at the cave in the Terrace of Formation. By cycling through your alts and killing the Protector of the First Ones on each of them, you effectively multiply your daily chances to get the key. The schematic and the craft itself are account-wide, so once you finally loot the key on an alt, you can simply use it to learn the craft and add the mount to your entire Warband's collection.
Farming the Scarlet Helicid involves a mix of weekly questing, Cypher research, and daily rare hunting in caves. These addons will help you navigate and track your progress.
Pro tip: Use HandyNotes to mark the rare mob's cave on your map. If you are running alts, it helps to leave them logged out right at the cave entrance to save time on travel.
