The Sundered Zerethsteed is a striking, corrupted cervid whose form carries the scars of Mawsworn intrusion into the sacred realm of Zereth Mortis. Unlike its regal counterparts, this mount bears the visual marks of unwanted corruption—a dark, twisted elegance that appeals to collectors who appreciate mounts with a story of defilement and survival. The flavour text hints at its tragic origin: "Whatever the purpose of these cervids once was, it is long forgotten. Though they are not Dominated, they have been corrupted by the unintended presence of Mawsworn in the sacred realm of Zereth Mortis." For collectors who enjoy the Protoform Synthesis system and want a mount that reflects the darker side of the First Ones' realm, the Sundered Zerethsteed is a rewarding craft.
Introduced in patch 9.2.0 "Eternity's End", the Sundered Zerethsteed is crafted through the Protoform Synthesis system at the Protoform Repository in Zereth Mortis. This isn't a simple vendor purchase or a lucky drop—it requires unlocking the crafting system, finding a schematic in the dangerous Endless Sands, and gathering materials that include a raid-locked reagent. The journey spans campaign progression, research timers, and a trip into the Sepulcher of the First Ones. For players who enjoy structured crafting goals and want a mount that proves their mastery of Zereth Mortis, the Sundered Zerethsteed is an excellent target.
The Sundered Zerethsteed is crafted at the Protoform Repository 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 and acquire the schematic. This is a 100% guaranteed acquisition once you have all the materials, but the Mawforged Bridle is tied to a weekly raid lockout, so plan accordingly.
Before you can begin your journey toward the Sundered Zerethsteed, you must first gain access to Zereth Mortis. To get there, you must have completed Chapter 2 of the 9.1 (Korthia) campaign. The last required quest is Charge of the Covenants. After completing it, you should receive a popup to start the Zereth Mortis (9.2) campaign.
A portal to Zereth Mortis appears 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, speak to Tal-Inara in Oribos to return.
To unlock the Protoform Synthesis system, 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. Keep in mind that research timers take several days to complete:
The Protoform Repository is located at the following coordinates: /way 68.5 30.1
Protoform Repository
Protoform Repository
To craft the Sundered Zerethsteed, you first need the Schematic: Sundered Zerethsteed. This schematic is located in the Endless Sands area of Zereth Mortis, often surrounded by hostile mobs. It is typically found inside a Mawsworn Cache. However, if you have already looted that specific cache before unlocking Protoform Synthesis, the schematic will appear in a Protoform Schematic container instead.
The Mawforged Bridle is the most challenging reagent. It is located inside the Sepulcher of the First Ones raid and is only available on Normal, Heroic, and Mythic difficulties. You can only loot one per week per character.
Before the Artificer Xy'mox room, there is a High Value Cache. To open it, you need a Security Override Orb.
How to get the Security Override Orb:
You will need 1 Cervid Lattice. These are purchasable on the Auction House. If you prefer to farm it yourself, it has a low drop chance from Cervid mobs in Zereth Mortis, such as Cervid Grazers, Native Cervids, and Chitali the Eldest.
You will need 300 Genesis Motes. These drop from most mobs in Zereth Mortis, making them relatively easy to accumulate through normal gameplay. However, you must farm these crafting reagents yourself as they are Bind-on-Pickup and cannot be traded or purchased.
Recommended farming spot: Devourers spawn regularly from the blue portal, and the automa NPCs in the area will help you kill them. This location allows for rapid kills and efficient Mote collection.
After you have gathered all of the required materials — 300 Genesis Motes, 1 Mawforged Bridle, and 1 Cervid Lattice — head over to the Protoform Repository at /way 68.5 30.1. Interact with the Servitor Interface, select Sundered Zerethsteed from the list of available mounts, and click the craft button.
Congratulations — you now have the Sundered Zerethsteed!
Farming the Sundered Zerethsteed involves a mix of open-world collection, raid coordination, and crafting progression. The right addons can help you track your progress and navigate efficiently.
Pro tip: Use SavedInstances to track your weekly Sepulcher lockouts. If you are running the raid on multiple characters for the Mawforged Bridle, this addon will save you from accidentally skipping a character or losing track of who has already looted the cache.
