There are plenty of different types of mounts for players to unlock throughout their playthrough of World of Warcraft, but the ability to unlock the Smoldering Ember Wyrm was intentionally hidden from players. This fiery skeletal drake mount is a drop from the boss Nightbane. However, players have to follow a very specific checklist to get it.
First off, players will need to know a couple of things about the Smoldering Ember Wyrm. It is a mount that can be picked up by players between levels one and 60 but requires the player to be an apprentice rider. It arrived with the 7.1.0.22731 patch and isn't exclusive to the Alliance or the Horde.
Unlocking the Smoldering Ember Wyrm Mount in World of Warcraft
This run to reach Nightbane is timed, so players will need to be careful and manage their time well. Following the checklist below will help them make it to the end and collect the Smoldering Ember Wyrm. Here's how to complete this time-sensitive mission.
Upon entering Karazhan and opening the door, players will receive an unsettling message, "The strange chill of a dark presence winds through the air." From this point, players will have eight minutes to grab the first crystal. However, to get the first crystal, players must get to and kill off Opera before the eight minutes are up.
After defeating Opera grab the first of the Soul Fragments in the Opera's audience. All of the following Soul Fragments grabbed will grant players a little more time to defeat Nightbane. Once the first crystal is found, players will gain the Medivh's Echo buff. This buff will grant the player six minutes to make it to the end. From here crystals will also add to the player's timer.
The second soul fragment is right before players reach the Maiden who doesn't need to be defeated. After killing Morose players should find the third. Four is in the spider room before reaching the portal to the stairs. If players have the time, the last Soul Fragment can be found in Nightbane's room after defeating the Curator.
Once the player has grabbed the last crystal, their buff will switch to Medivh's Presence. This will grant the player five minutes to speak with Medivh and summon Nightbane. After speaking to Medivh, players will receive the One Night in Karazhan achievement. The scene will play to summon Nightbane before players will be able to actually fight him. Defeating him will grant the player the Smoldering Ember Wyrm. However, if players ever receive the message, "The air grows slightly warmer," they have run out of time and will need to reload the dungeon.
World of Warcraft is available on PC, Classic Mac OS, and Mac OS.