Race Overview & Lore
The Skyborne arrive in WoW Forever as a brand-new playable people, and they bring one of the most distinctive backstories the setting has seen in years. Known in their own tongue as the Shen’dorei, or the “hidden people,” they descend from a faction of Highborne rebels who abandoned Eldre’Thalas in the chaos that followed the War of the Ancients. Rather than scatter across Kalimdor like so many of their kin, these exiles reached out to the wind spirits of Skywall and forged a lasting pact with them.
That bargain reshaped their fate. In exchange for their loyalty and their mastery of the old arcane arts, the elementals lifted their sanctuary — Zephras Isle — clear off the surface world and anchored it within the elemental plane. There the Shen’dorei lived apart for generations, blending Highborne sorcery with the raw power of the sky, until the upheavals of WoW Forever finally drew them back into the wider conflict between the factions.
What makes them interesting to play is the way that isolation shaped two very different outlooks under one roof. Centuries adrift in the elemental plane split the Shen’dorei into rival schools of thought — one that guards the arcane legacy of Eldre’Thalas, and one that surrenders itself to the storm. That internal divide is not just backstory; it is baked directly into how you build and play the race, right down to your faction, your class options, and your signature abilities.
If you plan to level a Skyborne character and want to skip the early gold grind, you can buy WoW Forever gold and boosts at Onlyfarms to hit the ground running.
High Order vs Windshaper
Unlike the neutral races that let you commit to a side after the tutorial, the Skyborne are a dual-faction people. Every member belongs to one of two rival traditions, and you declare which one during character creation. There is no fence-sitting: the branch you pick decides whether you fight for the Alliance or the Horde.
Choosing the High Order aligns you with the Alliance. This wing of the Shen’dorei clings tightly to the disciplined arcane heritage of their Highborne ancestors, treating spellcraft as a sacred lineage to be preserved. Selecting the Windshaper path instead places you in the Horde. Windshapers lean into the elemental pact itself, channeling the living storms of Skywall rather than book-taught sorcery.
This decision matters well beyond flavor text. Your faction determines which capital cities you can enter, which quest chains open to you, and even part of your class list and racial toolkit. Because the choice locks you into faction-exclusive content, think it through before you commit — swapping later means rolling a fresh character or paying for a faction transfer.
Available Classes
The Skyborne enjoy a solid spread of classes, though a couple of options depend entirely on the faction branch you selected. Four classes are open to both High Order and Windshaper characters, while two are gated behind a single faction. One notable absence stands out for a race this steeped in holy-light-free tradition.
Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, and Druid are shared, so any Skyborne can roll them regardless of side. Mage is reserved for the High Order, fitting their scholarly arcane focus, and Shaman belongs only to the Windshaper, reflecting their bond with the elements. Paladin is not available to the Skyborne on either side.
| Class | High Order (Alliance) | Windshaper (Horde) |
|---|---|---|
| Warrior | Yes | Yes |
| Hunter | Yes | Yes |
| Rogue | Yes | Yes |
| Druid | Yes | Yes |
| Mage | Yes | No |
| Shaman | No | Yes |
| Paladin | No | No |
Racial Abilities
WoW Forever overhauls racials across the board. Where Classic gave each race a single signature trait, every race now carries two active abilities and two passives. The Skyborne follow this template, with a mix of traits shared by both branches and a couple that are unique to your chosen faction.
The headline active is Walk on Air, a shared ability that lets you glide gently downward for roughly ten seconds — perfect for softening long falls or crossing gaps. High Order characters gain Read Ley Line, while Windshapers get Skysight; details on both are still being confirmed. On the passive side, Wind Blessed grants a haste bonus and Elemental Insight boosts your damage against elemental foes. Exact numbers may shift before launch, so treat the values as preliminary.
| Ability | Type | Faction | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walk on Air | Active | Shared | Glide slowly downward for about 10 seconds |
| Read Ley Line | Active | High Order | Faction-exclusive utility (details reported, unconfirmed) |
| Skysight | Active | Windshaper | Faction-exclusive utility (details reported, unconfirmed) |
| Wind Blessed | Passive | Shared | Grants a haste bonus |
| Elemental Insight | Passive | Shared | Bonus damage dealt to elemental enemies |
Starting Zone: Zephras Isle
Every Skyborne begins their journey on Zephras Isle, the floating homeland that the wind spirits raised into the elemental plane. This zone covers levels 1 through 12 and is exclusive to the race, so you won’t bump into players of other races questing alongside you here.
The island introduces the core of Shen’dorei identity: the ancient pact with Skywall, the tension between the High Order and Windshaper traditions, and the arcane-meets-elemental flavor that defines the whole people. Expect the opening quests to lean heavily on the sky theme, which is exactly where your Walk on Air racial starts to feel natural as you drift between the isle’s elevated platforms and windswept ledges.
Because both factions share the same starting ground, your early experience is broadly similar whether you rolled High Order or Windshaper — the faction split becomes more pronounced once you leave Zephras Isle around level 12 and are funneled toward your respective Alliance or Horde territories and their capital cities.
Unique Druid Forms
Druid is one of the shared classes, and it comes with a genuine collector’s perk for the Skyborne. Rather than reusing an existing model set, Skyborne Druids shift into their own sky-blue variants of the core shapeshift forms, giving the race a look no other Druid can replicate.
The custom appearances cover Bear Form, Cat Form, Travel Form, and Moonkin Form. Each is rendered in the airy, storm-touched palette that suits a people born of the wind, tying your shapeshifting directly into the race’s aesthetic instead of feeling like a generic template.
For players who value transmog and visual identity, this is a real draw. If you have ever wanted a Druid that stands out on sight — whether you’re tanking as a bear, prowling as a cat, or slinging spells as a Moonkin — the Skyborne offer forms that are exclusive to the race and impossible to obtain any other way.
How to Unlock the Skyborne
The Skyborne are not included with a standard WoW Forever subscription. To create one, you need to own one of the paid editions that bundle the race, so there is a real-money gate in front of this content.
Three purchase tiers grant access: the Skyborne Heroic Pack at $29.99, the Skyborne Epic Pack at $59.99, and the top-end Warcraft Forever Collection at $79.99. Any one of these unlocks the race — the pricier tiers simply layer on additional bonuses beyond the Skyborne themselves.
Before you buy, decide which faction branch you want, since the pack unlocks the race as a whole and the High Order or Windshaper choice is still made at character creation. If you’re primarily after the race, the Heroic Pack is the cheapest route in; if you want the fuller bundle of extras, the Epic Pack or the full Collection may be the better value.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the Skyborne a neutral race like Pandaren?
No. They are a dual-faction race, but you commit at character creation. High Order goes to the Alliance and Windshaper goes to the Horde — there is no neutral period where you delay the decision.
Can the Skyborne be Paladins?
No. Paladin is unavailable to the Skyborne on both factions. Their class list centers on arcane and elemental traditions rather than the Holy Light.
Which classes are locked to a faction?
Mage is exclusive to the High Order (Alliance) and Shaman is exclusive to the Windshaper (Horde). Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, and Druid are open to both branches.
Do I have to pay extra to play one?
Yes. The race is gated behind a paid edition — the Skyborne Heroic Pack ($29.99), the Skyborne Epic Pack ($59.99), or the Warcraft Forever Collection ($79.99). It is not part of the base subscription.
What makes Skyborne Druids special?
They receive exclusive sky-blue versions of Bear, Cat, Travel, and Moonkin forms. No other race has access to these appearances, making them a standout pick for transmog-minded Druid players.