Tawny Wind Rider

Tawny Wind Rider is a rare flying mount of the wyvern family, available only to characters of the Horde faction. The mount was added in patch 2.0.1 of The Burning Crusade expansion and is one of the first flying mounts to appear in the game. The Tawny Wind Rider is purchased from wind rider vendors in several locations or granted as a reward for the introductory quest.

Visually, the mount is a wyvern — a winged creature with a lion's body, a scorpion's tail, and powerful membranous wings. The Tawny Wind Rider stands out with its warm brown-tawny fur. On the ground, the mount moves on four legs like a large cat, and in the air it spreads its wings and soars.

According to the item description: "After Cairne and Thrall freed these creatures from the cruel harpies, many of them became loyal companions of the Horde."

• Affordable price — only 50 gold from a vendor. This is one of the cheapest flying mounts in the game
• Free from a quest — characters who completed the Exile's Reach get the Tawny Wind Rider as a reward for the quest Find Your Way in Orgrimmar
• Ground and flying — the mount works both on the ground and in the air. Speed depends on your riding skill and the zone you are in
• Available to all characters — once learned, the mount becomes available on all characters of your account
• Classic model — wind riders are iconic creatures of the Horde, symbolizing the faction's aerial transport since the earliest days of World of Warcraft

There are two ways to obtain the Tawny Wind Rider: for free from a quest or for gold from a vendor.

Method 1: Quest Reward

If you start the game from Exile's Reach (the starting zone for new characters), after arriving in Orgrimmar you will have access to a chain of introductory quests:

1. Complete the quest Welcome to Orgrimmar
2. Take the quest Find Your Way — you will be asked to ask the guard for directions to the stable master
3. Talk to Kor'kron Spiketotem and follow her to the stables
4. Talk to Rohaka Tuskhammer at the stables
5. Receive the Tawny Wind Rider as a reward

Note: while being escorted by Kor'kron Spiketotem, stay close to her. If you stray too far, the quest may bug out.

Method 2: Purchase from a Vendor

The mount is sold for 50 gold by several vendors. The price can be reduced thanks to reputation discounts.

The most convenient vendor for most players is Drakma in Orgrimmar, since the Horde capital is always accessible via your hearthstone or portals.

If you like the wyvern model, take a look at other mounts of this family:

• Blue Wind Rider — blue coloring, 50 gold from the same vendors
• Green Wind Rider — green coloring, 50 gold from the same vendors
• Swift Red Wind Rider — epic version, 100 gold
• Swift Green Wind Rider — epic version, 100 gold
• Swift Yellow Wind Rider — epic version, 100 gold
• Swift Purple Wind Rider — epic version, 100 gold

All of them are sold by the same vendors as the Tawny Wind Rider.