[Suggestion] Iconic Beast pets

[pop]

What are Iconic Beasts?
Iconic beasts are pets or beast that represents a faction. For example, the iconic beast for the Orcish Horde is the wyvern and the Wildhammer is generally a master of the Gryphons.

Why?
Since 5.2, I was thinking how cool it was that Direhorns can be tamed after you acquired a Tome of Dinomancy, which is something unique. Since it had been a long time that any characters require a book or a quest to have access to a certain skill. So why not something else, something that would differentiate a faction, something small like the beast that a hunter can or cannot use. Pets have skills and a lot of them tamed for their aesthetic reasons, though some are an acquired taste.

How?
When a hunter reach a certain level, he or she will be give a bread crumb quest that would in the end give the Hunter a tome or a skill called 'Guardian Beast' or 'Totemic Beast' for example. What this skill or tome do is actually giving the Hunter the ability to summon a beast depending on the faction, that act the same way as his or her other pets, except that it would be in a form of spell, does not require a stable and can be just called using the spell.

The summoned beast can be fed, resurrected, healed and be dismissed like any other pets. For balancing reasons, when Stampede is used, only 4 others pets summoned, given that the caster isn't using 'Glyph of Stampede' where in that case, it would only duplicate the active summoned beast.

Why it is a spell and not just a normal tame?
This is because I prefer that certain things should follow to the lore to a certain extent. For example, for me, it is weird for a Troll hunter to be using a Gryphon as pet because IMHO the gryphon should have affinity within a certain faction only. And instead of taming, if it a spell, then if the user changed his race or faction, there wouldn't be a problem of it can't be used.

What beasts can be summoned using this spell?
It depends on the faction;
Wyvern - Orc, Goblin, Troll
Hippogryph- Night Elf, Tauren
Gryphon - Dwarf, Human,
Ghostly/Skeletal Gryphon - Undead
Phoenix - Blood Elf, Draenei
Pandarian Phoenix - Pandaren

Of course, this list is just an example. It doesn't have to set in stone as probably certain faction would get terrestrial beast such as Kodos or Hydras for example, but these are the only ones on top of my mind at the moment.

What kind of skills should they have?
Since these are high leveled 'pets', I think the mastery buff would fit perferctly. This summon can be used regardless of the Hunter's spec.

Bonus Skill suggestion; Ride as one.
This skill enables the Hunter to use the summoned beast as a mount. 2 sec cast time, cannot be used in combat or in a closed area. This skill is available to any hunters, regardless of their specs.

If a BM hunter is using it, it will get an extra skill; 'Exotic' skill.

Exotic skill; "Valiant Rescue" (Remember, this is merely a suggestion)
The Beast rescues the hunter by carrying to safety, increasing its speed by 70% freeing the Hunter from any movement impairing status, for 5 seconds". During this spell, the user would lose control of the hunter and we would control our 'pet' that we can control to carry us to safety. While the spell is active, the hunter cannot perform any action and the beast or the hunter can be still targeted with attack or harmful spells.

p/s and yes, I do think it would be awesome if Hunters can use any of his or her beast mounts as their 'pet's as well.

[Lazurianis]

Hippogryph- Night Elf, Tauren
Ghostly/Skeletal Gryphon - Undead
Phoenix - Blood Elf, Draenei
Pandarian Phoenix - Pandaren

Just to point out a few things, first of all, I do really like this idea, however, I have a problem with the current 'suggested' pets, and although I understand you said they were examples, I just want to give you my two cents.

First of all, hippogryph's should belong to the Night-Elf and Draenei only, because they do not understand any other languages aside from Darnassian and Common, so giving them to a Tauren is kind of useless, given the only Hippogryph's taurens use are from the Argent Tournament or a major Cenarion hold, given that Night Elves are present in that area. Tauren's should be getting Wyverns, as they have no other option. Second of all, although the idea of a Ghostly/Skeletal Gryphon would be cool, I don't see that happening, given that they are Undead creatures and have no sense of direction if they are 'skeletal', however, Ghostly Gryphons (could) be up for discussion, as the whole idea of Spirit Beasts would come into play. Third, Blood Elves getting Phoenixes, although again, it would be cool, according to a lore stand-point, it wouldn't work out, reason being; their primary language is Kalimag which is the language spoken by all elementals, and given that they speak a language of elementals, we can only assume the Phoenix race as a whole are elementals, which leads us finally to Pandaren Phoenixes, there are only four Pandaren Phoenixes that are known, which are the four mounts that are purchased through Silver Medal Challenge Modes.

Although yes, I think these are fantastic ideas, I am speaking to you from a point where if someone from Blizzard were to respond to your request. I'd say re-look over some of the stuff you posted for suggestions to the race-to-pet equivalents and see what you come up with, whether that's your own ideas (which I highly recommend, because creativity gets you very far, especially your own ideas generated from the suggestions of others or other sources) or more of a lore-stand-point that I took.

[Lisaara]

I agree with Laz on this one. He worded it better than I could and it's probably how Blizz would look at it.