Snapdragon Kelpstalker

Snapdragon Kelpstalker is an epic ground mount added in the Battle for Azeroth expansion with Patch 8.2 "Rise of Azshara." It is a large monitor lizard in a bright green coloration with olive and emerald spots, a long crest running down its back, massive webbed feet, and a powerful tail. The lizard's snout is decorated with raised ridges, and its eyes glow yellow. The leather saddle with pauldrons is crafted in the style of the deep-sea dwellers of Nazjatar — coral, shells, and the cured hide of sea creatures.

The mount is a reward for the Good Girl quest from the bodyguard Neri Sharpfin, one of the members of the Unshackled faction in Nazjatar. To unlock the quest, you must raise her bodyguard rank to 20. The mount is only available to Horde characters; however, once obtained, the Alliance counterpart unlocks on the opposite faction of the same account.

• Unique appearance — a bright green monitor lizard with a crest and deep-sea harness stands out among standard mounts and perfectly suits a sea-themed character image.
• Maximum movement speed — the mount uses standard riding bonuses, so its efficiency depends entirely on your flying and riding skills (up to 100% on the ground, up to 310% in the air with the appropriate skill).
• Guaranteed reward — unlike mounts with a percentage drop chance, the Snapdragon Kelpstalker is granted strictly for completing the quest. As soon as you bring Neri to rank 20, the mount is yours.
• Automatic Alliance variant — obtaining this mount on the Horde unlocks the counterpart on Alliance characters of the same account.
• Progress in the Nazjatar collection — alongside leveling Neri, you earn reputation with the Unshackled, complete zone achievements, and gain access to other Patch 8.2 rewards

Obtaining the mount consists of four major stages: unlocking Nazjatar, opening the bodyguard system, leveling Neri Sharpfin to rank 20, and completing the final quest.

1. Reach at least level 35 (requirements are lowered on current servers; previously Battle for Azeroth level 120 was required)
2. Complete the introductory chain in Nazjatar, starting with the Nazjatar quest, which is granted via a summons in the Horde capital
3. Build the base camp, activate the Deep Fissure campfire, and complete the chain that unlocks the bodyguard system
4. Complete the Desperate Measures quest and its follow-up to gain access to daily tasks
5. Choose Neri Sharpfin as your active companion at the Deep Fissure
6. Complete Nazjatar dailies every day, bringing Neri along — this is how she gains experience and increases her rank
7. Repeat the cycle until Neri reaches rank 20. On average, leveling takes around 20 game days with regular completion of dailies
8. Once rank 20 is reached, Neri will grant the Good Girl quest, the reward for which is the Snapdragon Kelpstalker. Use the item to learn the mount

Bodyguards are the main feature of Nazjatar, introduced in Patch 8.2. Each player chooses one of three companions of their faction, who accompanies them around the zone, helps in combat, accumulates experience, and unlocks unique rewards as their rank increases.

The Three Horde Bodyguards

• Neri Sharpfin — a gilblin from the Unshackled, who deals high damage and frequently immobilizes opponents. She is the one who grants the Snapdragon Kelpstalker mount at rank 20
• Poen Gillsworn — a murloc healer who supports the group and is suitable for less prepared characters. At rank 20, rewards the Glimmershell Critter battle pet
• Vim Brineheart — a murloc tank who holds aggro and protects the player. At rank 20, rewards the Book of the Unshackled toy

How to Switch Bodyguards

You can change your active bodyguard at any time at the Deep Fissure. The experience of each companion is saved independently, so you can level all three in parallel. If your main goal is the mount, choose Neri and complete all tasks only with her.

How Experience Works

Neri gains experience while she is with you during the completion of certain tasks. Each rank requires 300 experience points, and the maximum rank is 30. Regular Nazjatar world quests do not grant companion experience; it is important to take the daily tasks marked with the bodyguard icon.

Leveling is the longest part of the process. The average duration is around 20 real days if you log in daily and complete all available companion tasks. With skipped days, the timeframe increases.

Daily Experience Tasks

Three tasks for the active bodyguard refresh each day at the Deep Fissure. They are marked with a special icon and are only granted to the character who chose Neri as their companion. The tasks are varied: killing rare creatures, gathering resources, helping allies, and clearing naga camps. It is important to complete all three daily, since they provide the main experience gain.

Additional Experience Sources

• Rare creatures of Nazjatar — some elites and rare nagas drop items granting bodyguard experience when killed. Check the map for rare mob icons and hunt them while completing dailies.
• Chests and caches — a number of hidden Nazjatar chests contain items that increase companion experience. Combine your daily route with treasure collection.
• Nazjatar weekly task — completing the Sabotaging Nazjatar or Defending Nazjatar weekly also contributes to progress.
• Dailies outside the capital — tasks taken on the Nazjatar map itself or from the bulletin board most often count toward experience, unlike those granted in the faction citadel.

Time Calculation

By completing three daily tasks for Neri, you gain approximately 300 experience points in one day, which equals one rank. Accordingly, 20 ranks require around 20 real days. If you also collect experience items from rare creatures and chests, the timeframe can be shortened to 15–17 days.

Nazjatar is an underwater zone accessible through an introductory quest chain. Characters who have never entered this location must first unlock it.

First Visit

1. Open the Horde capital (Orgrimmar or Undercity) and wait for the story summons
2. The Nazjatar quest appears in your log automatically upon reaching the required level
3. Complete the introductory scenario: you and your allies are lured into a trap and dropped to the bottom of the sea
4. Use the Communication Shell to contact the base commander and build the Unshackled camp
5. After building the camp, activate the campfire and gain access to bodyguards

Repeat Visits

To quickly return to Nazjatar, use the Communication Shell. It works like a portal artifact: activation transports you directly to the camp with a 30-minute cooldown. You can also fly in via the flight master after unlocking flight points.