UPDATE!  Now with the actual Dire Bear Mount pics!

Much recent discussion has centered on the The Shadow Odyssey premiums, especially the dire bear mount and pet which is only available with the retail box version of the expansion.  This item scales with the level of the caster:  at low levels it's a pet, and as your character grows it becomes a mount, becoming more and more useful to you.  Allakhazam has acquired exclusive pictures and video of the level 80 Ykeshan Warbear!

Disclaimer:  all this information is from the TSO Beta server, and may change at launch.

If you've been following the changes in this peice, you know that we featured some Ykeshan Warbears.  Through one of those silly mistakes that happen it was thought they were the retail box premium bear.  Kiara, the EQII Community Manager, hastily corrected her error and provided us with the correct bear!  This picture is of the Dire Bear, summoned with a Bear Whistle by a level 80 character:

Ilucide has stated on the Official forums that the runspeed of the Bear scales like this:

• 1-19: Summoned pet (not a mount)
• 20-39: 20% run speed
• 40-59: 30% run speed and armored appearance
• 60-79: 45% run speed and increased armor appearance
• 80: 52% run speed and increased armor appearance

The void shard Ykeshan Warbears, purchasable with void shards earned in the TSO instances, have 65% run speed, which stacks with the Selo's lines and the Troubador AA runspeed lines.  We saw six versions of the Warbear with the expected variations in armor appearance.  We were plesantly suprised to discover two different sets of benefits on the mounts.  Click any picture for a larger version.

While they all have the same name, note the two different sets of stats at level 80:

• Increases Melee Weapon Rage of caster by 1.0
• Increases Max Health of caster by 250

• Increases Reuse Speed of caster by 3.0
• Increases Max Power of caster by 250

We also got some video of the Ykeshan Warbear in action.  And before you ask, no, they do not drool!