With Battle for Azeroth  drawing to a close, World of Warcraft  players are just waiting to head into the Shadowlands  later this year. Since the pre-patch event is coming soon, most characters will find any gear they get now is quickly replaced by more powerful items. However, adventurers can still work towards permanent rewards like earning a new mount in the meantime.

Since Patch 8.3 brought N'Zoth's invasions to Azeroth, players have fought and killed thousands of Aqir insects in Uldum. Among the many types include airborne ones that harass even heroes flying through the sky. Several variants of this flying Aqir model can be found as a rare drop or bought for Horrific Vision currency, but players can also raise their own mount over several weeks.

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Finding the Egg

First, players will need to locate a 'Voidtouched Egg' in Western Uldum which can be found during any invasion. Interacting with the egg will start a quest to bring it back to Ramakhen and talk with the NPC H'partho Ardoros. Immediately after, he gives another quest to inspect 7 more Voidtouched Eggs in Uldum and completing that will open up dailies starting the next day.

Raising the Egg

The egg has an EXP bar with a cap of 5000 above its head that signals how close it is to reaching the next stage. Completing daily quests provided by H'partho Ardoros award a certain amount of EXP.

  1. Void Incubation: Collect 10 Crystallized Void which can be found in Uldum or Pandaria's Vale of Eternal Blossoms during a Black Empire Assault. Awards 900 EXP.
  2. Encased in Amber: Obtain an Amber Incubator found in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms in Mantid areas. Awards 900 EXP.
  3. Warmth of the Sun: Collect an Amathet Solar Collector in Uldum which is located underground in the Obelisk of Stars. Awards 900 EXP.
  4. Wrapping Up: Collect 30 Aqir Webbings from Aqir caster mobs in Uldum. Awards 900 EXP.
  5. Continued Incubation: Collect 10 Crystallized Void in a zone under direct attack by N'Zoth. Awards 300 EXP.

Once the EXP bar is fully filled, it will hatch the next day and award the Aqir Egg Cluster toy.

Raising the Larva

Players now get a quest to collect 12 'Chunks of Meat' from animals in Uldum and the Vale of Eternal Blossoms to feed their Aqir larva which it promptly rejects. However, this opens up a new set of dailies to progress another EXP bar on the larva.

  1. Meat Alternatives: Collect 12 Insectoid Meat from Aqir, Mantid, or insects in Uldum and the Vale of Eternal Blossoms. Awards 900 EXP.
  2. Fetid Fillets: Collect 12 Corrupted Flesh from N'Zoth's minions in Uldum or the Vale of Eternal Blossoms during a Black Empire Assault. Awards 900 EXP.
  3. A Bloody Treat: Collect 8 Vials of Purified Anima in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms during a Mogu Assault. Awards 900 EXP.
  4. Action Figures: Collect 6 Amathet Figurines in Uldum during an Amathet Assault. Awards 900 EXP.
  5. Bug Buddies: Catch 5 Docile Sandstone Hatchlings in Uldum during an Aqir Assault. Awards 900 EXP.
  6. Super Jelly: Collect 8 Concentrated Royal Jelly in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms during a Mantid Assault. Awards 900 EXP.
  7. More Fetid Fillets: Collect 12 Corrupted Flesh from N'Zoth's minions in Uldum or the Vale of Eternal Blossoms during a Black Empire Assault. Awards 300 EXP.

When the EXP bar is filled to 5000, the larva cocoons itself and grows further, awarding a Shadowbarb Hatchling battle pet the next day.

world of warcraft npc h'parthos screenshot
World of warcraft h'parthos

Raising the Hatchling

Compared to earlier stages, players can raise their hatchling's EXP bar through 2 dailies: normal combat or pet battles while the Shadowbarb Hatchling is in the party.

  1. Aqir Instincts: Summon the Hatchling to fight alongside players for 10 minutes in Uldum or the Vale of Eternal Blossoms and gain EXP for each kill. Minor enemies award 5 EXP, normal enemies award 20 EXP, and elite/rare enemies award 30-50 EXP.
  2. Big Bad Beetle: In Uldum, defeat the Aqir Sandcrawler in a WoW pet battle. Awards 900 EXP.
  3. Someone His Own Size: In Uldum, defeat Retinus the Seeker in a pet battle. Awards 900 EXP.
  4. The Mantids' Mettle: In the Vale of Eternal Blossoms, defeat the Vil'thik Hatchling in a pet battle. Awards 900 EXP.
  5. The Littlest Defender: In the Vale of Eternal Blossoms, defeat the Baruk Stone Defender in a pet battle. Awards 900 EXP.
  6. Honing Instincts: Daily version of the Aqir Instincts quest.

After the Aqir hatchling reaches 5000 EXP, it's fully grown and just needs one more thing to become a mount.

Getting a Saddle

The Aqir drone needs a saddle, so H'Parthos directs players to speak with Blacksmith Abasi in Ramakhen. Abasi says its doable, but first he needs 12 'Black Empire Arnaments' from N'Zoth's cultists in Uldum or the Vale of Eternal Blossoms. After handing the items over, Abasi tells players to come back tomorrow for their saddle. The next day, Abasi starts one final quest to bring the 'Otherworldly Saddle' to H'Parthos. Once completed, players are finally awarded with their Shadowbarb Drone.

Although this questline is not going away, the imminent Scourge invasion and Shadowlands  content will occupy most players' time in the coming months, so getting the mount now is the best option. Once it's done, this Aqir friend will loyally carry heroes anywhere through Azeroth and even into the afterlife.

World of Warcraft is available now for PC.

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Source: Wowhead