It is not surprising that the release of PoF increases GW2 traffic. One thing that drew me in was their mount system. They were designed with utility in mind instead of cosmetics unlike most MMOs

I will only be discussing mounts that are included in Path of Fire expansion.
Specifically;

• Raptor
  
• Springer
  
• Skimmer
  
• Jackal
  
• Griffon

Note; You’ll need to purchase Path of Fire on your account to be able to obtain these mounts.

A few things to note before we start;

• Progressing through the main storyline of Path of Fire will guide you to each mount's location. So I recommend you to just play through the story.
  
  
• Your health bar and your mount's are separate. So if their health bar reaches zero, your mount will disappear into thin air and your character will fall. Before I got my griffon mount, I would 'sacrifice' my raptor by jumping off from high cliffs if I wanted to get down quicker unscathed. (They're okay, don't worry. You can ride them again once you're out of combat mode)
  
  
• Each mount has its own unique abilities that are very useful for map completion. Most abilities must be unlocked by mastery points. As I've said, they're not only for cosmetic purposes. You'll get the first three just by following through the story mode.
  
  
• All of the mounts are account-wide. You'll be able to ride your raptor with a level 2 character if you've unlocked it.
  
  
• You won't be able to summon mounts in story instances unrelated to PoF

The Mastery system is account-wide, which means if you've unlocked one mastery for a mount, it will show up if you're logged to your other characters.

Mastery skills are unlocked by mastery points. To obtain these points, you can look up for their location and guide here:

Dulfy's Guide[dulfyreborn.net]

If you are having trouble reaching certain locations, don't be shy and use map chat to ask for help from Mesmers to portal you up. (Yes, mesmers have a portal that could reach insane ranges). Or ask help from someone who has the turtle mount.

I can vouch that PvE players in GW2 will always lend a helping hand if you ask.

Mastery skills are sequential. You can't unlock the third one if you haven't done the first two.

Each mount has their own mastery progression. You can switch between whichever you'd want to progress first. Even so, mounts are also sequential. The next one relies on our current mount's Mastery skill. This will be explained later on for each mount.

To be able to progress, you'll need mastery EXP. Make sure you click on the desired mastery skill. Simply open Hero Panel [default H key] and look at the symbols on the left side. The last one should open your Masteries tab. Click on Path of Fire then click on the mastery track of your choice.

Once you do so, you can do meta or small events, complete heart quests (they reset daily). There are some hero points that reset daily too and they give tons of exp.

YOU NEED TO BE IN POF MAPS TO OBTAIN EXP FOR POF MASTERIES

They are currency used in PoF maps to purchase items from karma merchants. It is a rare drop from foes. You can also acquire them from chests around PoF maps.

More on Trade Contracts[wiki.guildwars2.com]

300 Trade Contracts and 25 Gold
(Excluding griffon)

Griffon will cost you 250 Gold

Each mounts has different uses for their endurance bar. You need to hold or press the space bar (jump). You can cut off their endurance bar skill midway by releasing the space bar.

You can still use their endurance skill if the bar is not full but it will not perform as well.

There are two ways to dismount. First is the usual boring way.

The second option is associated with a skill that is already assigned to each mount; however, it's important to note that each mount has different skills. These skills are called Engage skills. It will automatically dismount you. (Further explanation later on)

A saurian type mount that could jump far and pull in your enemy upon dismount.

How to Obtain
Play through the first episode of PoF: Sparking the Flame. Before reaching the end of this episode, you should be able to obtain it from Aksim.

Endurance
You'll have two endurance bar and each leap costs one bar. To leap, you'll need to hold space button (jump) and the bar will slowly depletes. You can release the space bar to stop leaping. The entire bar regenerates in 10 seconds.

Dismount skill (Engage)

Tail Spin
This will damage foes nearby

Mastery Skills
Total MP needed: 10

• Ravenous Strike
  Costs 1 MP
  This increases damage of your raptor's Tail Spin
  
  
• Round Up
  Costs 2 MP
  This will pull foes to you when you dismount using Tail Spin
  
  
• Canyon Jump
  Costs 3 MP
  Your raptor can finally leap much farther
  
  
• Ravenous Discipline
  Costs 4 MP
  This will increase damage on all of your mount's dismount skill

More on Raptors[wiki.guildwars2.com]

A bunny kangaroo hybrid that could jump high up

How to Obtain
Located in High Jump Ranch, Desert Highlands. You need to complete the heart quest first then speak to Stablemaster Unja.

Costs 50 Trade Contracts and 1 Gold
Requires raptor's mastery "Canyon Jumping"

Highjump Ranch Location[wiki.guildwars2.com]

Endurance
Springer has one endurance bar. Simply press and hold the space bar to charge up until the endurance bar empties, then release to jump up. Their entire endurance bar regenerates in 2 seconds.

Dismount skill (Engage)

Cannonball
Your springer will jump up and spin before landing with a great force that damages your foes.

Mastery Skills
Total MP needed: 14

• Fortified Descent
  Costs 2 MP
  Your springer takes less fall damage by approximately 95%
  
  
• Forceful Impact
  Costs 3 MP
  Cannonball will now knock back foes
  
  
• High Vault
  Costs 4 MP
  Springer can finally jump higher than before.
  
  
• Masterful Descent
  Costs 5 MP
  All of your mounts will take less fall damage

More on Springer[wiki.guildwars2.com]

Manta-like creatures that hovers above the ground. It will help you navigate around water and quicksand. This mount does not take fall damage (duh).

How to Obtain
Located in Skimmer Ranch, Elon Riverlands. Complete the heart quest then speak to Trainer Ardra to purchase

Costs 50 Trade Contracts and 4 Gold
Requires Springer's Canyon Jumping

Skimmer Ranch Location[wiki.guildwars2.com]

Endurance
Skimmer has one endurance bar. To hover higher, simply hold the space bar (jump). It will fall back down once the bar empties. If you hover from a high place, skimmer will act as a temporary glider until the bar empties. Their entire endurance bar regenerates in 5 seconds.

Dismount Skill (Engage)

Barrel Roll
It will barrel roll forward, damaging foes and healing allies in its way.

Mastery Skills
Total MP needed: 22

• Nimble Recovery
  Costs 2 MP
  If you are knocked off the skimmer or if you use barrel roll, you will be granted Protection for 4 seconds and Swiftness for 10 seconds
  
  
• Rejuvenating Revival
  Costs 3 MP
  Your skimmer can heal downed allies if you use barrel roll near them
  
  
• Ride the Wind
  Costs 4 MP
  Increases the height of your skimmer's hover skill
  
  
• Nimble Benevolence
  Costs 5 MP
  All your mounts will grant Protection for 4 seconds and Swiftness for 10 seconds when you're knocked off or of you use their dismount skill (engage)

Additional Skill

• Skimming Depths
  Costs 8 MP
  Your skimmer can finally dive underwater
  
  YOU NEED TO FINISH POF STORY AND COMPLETE AN ACHIEVEMENT TO BE ABLE TO PROGRESS THROUGH THIS SKILL

Guide on the achievement

Finding Sibaha[wiki.guildwars2.com]


More on Skimmer[wiki.guildwars2.com]

A sand puppy that blinks forward and helps you go through sand portals throughout PoF maps.

How to Obtain
Located in Sand Jackal Run, the Desolation. You need a skimmer to reach the destination because it is surrounded by Sulfurous haze (this is very deadly. I had fallen there once and I was traumatised). Complete the heart quest and purchase your jackal from Drojkor, Spirit Squall.

Costs 200 Trade Contracts and 20 Gold
(costs more if you don't do the heart quest)
Requires Springer's High Vault mastery or the Skimmer's Ride the Wind mastery

Sand Jackal Run Location[wiki.guildwars2.com]

Endurance
Jackal has three endurance bar. Press space bar once to jump and press it again to blink forward. Each blinks costs one bar. Their entire endurance bar regenerates in 10 seconds.

Dismount skill (Engage)

Pounce
Damages your foes

Mastery Skills
Total MP needed: 14

• Enhance Evasion
  Costs 2 MP
  Using endurance bar will evade enemy attacks
  
  
• Bolster Allies
  Costs 3 MP
  Using Pounce will grant you and your ally a strong sand barrier for a few seconds
  
  
• Shifting Sands
  Costs 4 MP
  Your jackal can now shift through sand portals
  
  
• Adroit Evasion
  Costs 5 MP
  All of your mounts will evade attacks when they're using endurance skills. This comes in handy when you're on springer or skimmer.

More on Jackal[wiki.guildwars2.com]

Lion meets eagle. At first glance people thought this is just a glider mount, but there are so much more to it once you unlock all of its masteries. I will have a separate section on Griffon's 'gliding'.



How to Obtain

Costs 250 Gold and a bunch of achievements
Requires completing PoF's storyline

For the achievements, you have to run around PoF maps to collect things, fight bosses and do events.

I would advise for you to prioritize reaching the third mastery skills for each of your first four mounts. This will make it easier for you to access specific locations.


Here's a detailed guide that I've used

Griffon Mount Step-to-Step Guide[guildjen.com]


If you don't feel like reading through all that, my go-to video guide for Guild Wars 2 is AyinMaiden

Here are her videos for the Griffon Achievement in order


How to get started

Open Skies: Crystal Oasis

Open Skies: Desert Highlands

Open Skies: Elon Riverlands

Open Skies: The Desolation

Open Skies: Domain of Vabbi

Open Skies: Sunspear Wisom

Open Skies: On Wings and a Prayer


Endurance
Griffon has one endurance bar. Simply press the space bar and it will flap its wings. The bar regenerates in 4 seconds, but will regenerate faster during diving down or grounded

Dismount skill (Engage)

Swoop
Jump up and press your skill to crash and inflict damage to foes. You can use this skill while you're up on the air and swoop down to crash into foes as well, inflicting higher damage the faster you dive

Mastery Skills
Total MP needed: 12

• Soaring Rescue
  Costs 3 MP
  You can mount your griffon midair
  
  
• Aerial Prowess
  Costs 4 MP
  Your griffon can swoop faster. If you swoop and release the key while in midair, your griffon will soar quickly through the skies. It will also give you the ability to Climb (this means your griffon could fly back up to gain momentum).
  
  
  Video for clarity
  
  Courtesy of Dulfy
  
  
• Aerial Finesse
  Costs 5 MP
  Flapping while diving or soaring will increase your griffon's movement by 40%

More on Griffon[wiki.guildwars2.com]

Those who didn't bother researching griffons missed out on unlocking their true potential.

Without its masteries, the Griffon serves as nothing more than a basic gliding mount. However, once you've mastered all three skills, the sky's the limit!

Describing the basic mechanics of the Griffon can be challenging, so here's a video that had helped me better grasp how to control it


In the description box of the video, timestamps are provided for easy navigation to specific topics



To further prove my point that Griffon is so much more than just a feathered glider, here are some majestic griffon videos
(Yes, these are possible to do if you're willing to practice your controls)

I hope this guide can be of assistance to someone. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. I apologise if there are any errors in the guide.

Remember; don't be shy to ask for help from map chat.

I will always remain the biggest enthusiast of mounts in Guild Wars 2 ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧


Thank you for reading my guide (,,>﹏<,,)