The zones introduced in The War Within are brimming with treasures for players to discover, ranging from cosmetics and toys to pets and mounts. Among these collectibles is Alunira, a stunning gryphon mount with storm-like aesthetics that can be found in the skies of the Isle of Dorn.
Although obtaining Alunira isn’t particularly difficult, it can be time-consuming due to the randomness of its acquisition method. Here’s everything players need to know about unlocking the Alunira mount in The War Within.
Related
WoW The War Within: Best Addons for Mythic+
World of Warcraft Addons are an excellent way to enhance quality of life and assist with gameplay, particularly in challenging content like Mythic+.
How To Unlock Alunira
To obtain Alunira as a mount, players must defeat the rare spawn of the same name. Alunira can be found circling the highest mountain peak of Dhar Oztan, located on the western side of the Isle of Dorn, at approximately the coordinates of 23/59.
When encountering the storm gryphon, players will notice that Alunira is protected by a Protective Stormshroud, which makes the rare untouchable. To engage Alunira, players must use an item called the Storm Vessel to dispel the barrier, allowing them to properly damage and defeat the gryphon.
How To Get Storm Vessel
The only way to obtain a Storm Vessel is by combining 10 Crackling Shards, which have an extremely low chance of dropping from any mob on the Isle of Dorn, including rares and elites. Collecting the shards will make up the bulk of the process of unlocking Alunira, potentially requiring several hours of farming depending on the player’s luck. This process is reminiscent of obtaining the Thundering Ruby Cloud Serpent from Mists of Pandaria, where players needed to collect 10 Skyshards in a similar fashion.
Crackling Shards can start dropping for players as early as level 70, once they gain access to the Isle of Dorn, without requiring completion of the main campaign. The shards are Warbound, so players can farm them on any character they wish. Some high-density areas recommended for farming include the mushroom mobs near the mine at coordinates 35/75 and the elementals on the beach at 32/75.
An alternative trick involves using a fresh level 70 character, skipping The War Within campaign pre-quest in Dalaran, and teleporting directly to Dornogal. From there, fly to Tranquil Strand at 31/52, where the main campaign begins, and farm the fast-spawning spiders in the area for an efficient grind.
While not confirmed, the rare spawn
Escaped Cutthroat
(
26/45
) is rumored to have a slightly higher chance of dropping Crackling Shards. Players may want to defeat this rare at least once a day on as many characters as possible to potentially increase their chances.
After gathering 10 Crackling Shards, combine them to create a Storm Vessel, then use it on Alunira to dispel the Protective Stormshroud. Defeating the rare guarantees that the player who uses the Storm Vessel will receive the Alunira mount.
Keep in mind that only the player who activates the Storm Vessel will be eligible to obtain the mount. If other players are in the same group, they will not receive the mount and will also be locked out of looting Alunira for the day, even if they later use a Storm Vessel themselves. This potentially results in the loss of the hard-earned item. While this may or may not be the intended interaction, it is recommended for players to solo Alunira, as the encounter is relatively easy to handle alone.
