In addition to the gear, dungeons, and new environments that come with a new expansion, there are also new mounts.World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandariais famous for the flying serpent mount that dominated most of the hype and publicity surrounding the latest addition to the game, and there are certain steps to take to get it.
Most of the new mounts in Pandaria are acquired by grinding rep with different factions to get access to the Quartermaster’s inventory. There’s a different process for acquiring the Cloud Serpent Mount, however, and gaining rep with the right faction is just the first step. Here’s how to go about it.
Every NPCin the Arboretumis neutral and will interact with both Horde and Alliance characters. There are also a few Inscription-related quests located here, along with the Zen Master Profession trainer.
The Arboretum
Home To The Order Of The Cloud Serpent
The Arboretum is a short walk due east ofDawn’s Blossom,which players will discoveras they follow the quest chains that first brought their faction to Pandaria. This is an important location that houses several advanced-level trainers and vendors selling related trade goods.
The Order of the Cloud Serpent calls this corner of the Jade Forest home. Their headquarters is equipped with various corrals, trainers, and other resources for raising and training this unique mount.Elder Anli is the NPC who offers the quest “Wild Things,“which starts the quest chain that leads to grinding rep with the Order. She can be found in the larger building on the far eastern side of the village.
It’s highly recommended that the player reach level 90 and can fly in Pandaria before they start to grind rep with this faction. Some of the dailies take place on several islands off the coast that are awkward, but not impossible,to reach without a flying mount.
Grinding Rep
Vanity And Pet Rewards As Opposed To Gear Or Resources
The quests given are random and not always offered every day, so don’t panic if a fussy little hatching seems friendly but doesn’t really want to talk at first. It may be a few days before they offer the player any quests, but the other dailies are always available.
Choosing The One
This is the questthat gives the player a chance to choose the color of their Cloud Serpent. There are three choices:yellow, blue, and green, which turn to gold, azure, and emerald when the beast reaches its full size. After the player makes their choice, their young Cloud Serpent will always wait for them in the small corral next to the building where most of the quest-givers reside.
After this choice is made, several other dailies open up, and this is when the grind really begins. There are more than twenty daily quests available in the Arboretum, but only a few random ones are offered on any given day, so it’s not as many as it looks.
Order Of The Cloud Serpent Daily Quests
There are several dailies that players can finish as soon as they arrive in the Arboretum, and several more become available as they grind their rep.Once the character reaches Exalted, their training is considered complete and their Cloud Serpent fully grown.At this point,players can purchasethe mount’s final form from the Quartermaster, who can be found next to the flight path.
Players can make some of the quests go faster by bringing some materials in advance. Fish Cakes, for example, is one of the first Cooking recipes that Players learn when they arrive in Pandaria, and five of them need to be crafted to complete the “A Feast for the Senses” quest. Go fishing in advance for a supply of Golden Carp, two of which are needed to make one Fish Cake, and complete the quests immediately.
Sky Race Dailies
Once the character reaches Revered status, they can take part in the Sky Race dailies. Remember the days of The Burning Crusade, when everyone wanted a Netherdrake, and the grind on Netherwing Ledge involved a racing quest? The races here present a similar challenge, but are less difficult than in the previous expansion.
The player doesn’t race an NPC in this case, but instead has to pass through a series of checkpoints set up high in the air off the coast of the Jade Forest. Not only does this reward a generous 600 reputation points, but players also get Valor Points, 5 Lesser Charms of Good Fortune, and a Winner’s Reward Bag with an extra prize depending on how fast they flew.
