The Serenade is a beautifully melodic, snail-like automaton whose swirling shell seems to hum with the faint echoes of the First Ones' creation. Unlike its bronze and crimson counterparts, this mount carries a distinctly musical aura, making it a highly sought-after prize for collectors who appreciate the more ethereal and artistic side of the Protoform Synthesis system. The flavour text hints at its unique connection to the realm's origins: "The First Ones left many mysteries behind in Zereth Mortis. Some, like the helicids, were meant to be discovered. Others were meant to be heard." For players who enjoy a crafting journey that takes them into the depths of a raid and across the waterfalls of the zone, the Serenade is a beautifully rewarding mount.
Introduced in patch 9.2.0 "Eternity's End", the Serenade is crafted at the Protoform Repository. While the core crafting process remains the same, obtaining its components requires a bit of a treasure hunt. You will need to venture into the Sepulcher of the First Ones raid to grab the schematic, and then hunt down a hidden musical crystal near the zone's waterfalls. For those who love a good scavenger hunt mixed with their crafting, this mount is an excellent target.
The Serenade mount is crafted via the Protoform Synthesis system in Zereth Mortis. To craft it, you will need to combine the following materials:
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 finding the specific spawn point for the musical crystal.
Before you can begin your journey to obtain the Serenade, 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
To unlock the crafting recipe for this mount, you must first acquire the Schematic: Serenade. This item is conveniently located right at the entrance of the Sepulcher of the First Ones raid. The best part is that you don't need to defeat a single boss or even worry about the raid difficulty—the schematic is accessible on any mode.
As soon as you zone in, walk forward to the edge of the starting platform and jump down into the shallow pools below. Mount up, sprint toward the left corner of the area, and look for the chains hanging from the underside of the platform. The schematic will be embedded there. The local trash mobs might chase you, but you can easily grab the item and escape before they land a hit. If you get lost or need a quick exit, simply look for the translocation orb in the center of the pools to teleport back to the entrance.
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 Crystallized Echo of the First Song.
You will need to find a Crystallized Echo of the First Song. This elusive item typically spawns near the waterfalls surrounding the Sepulcher of the First Ones raid entrance, though one can also be found east of the Catalyst Gardens. A helpful trick to locating it is to turn your in-game sound on; the crystal emits a faint, melodic musical tone that will guide you right to it.
Possible spawn locations:
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 500 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 Serenade!
Farming the Serenade involves a mix of weekly questing, Cypher research, and searching for hidden items near waterfalls. These addons will help you navigate and track your progress.
Pro tip: Use HandyNotes to mark the potential Crystallized Echo spawn points on your map. If you don't hear the music at one location, quickly fly to the next waypoint using TomTom to save time.
