Garuda (Final Fantasy XIV)



Garuda is the primal of the Ixal beast-tribes in Final Fantasy XIV, also known as the Lady of the Vortex. She is encountered as a boss a number of times in both Legacy and A Realm Reborn.

A Realm Reborn
Following the Garlean raid on the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, the Adventurer was staying at the Church of Saint Adama Landama with Father Iliud and "Marques." Alphinaud Leveilleur arrives at the church explaining his intent to revive the Scions, due to Garuda being summoned. Recognizing Marques as an amnesiac Cid nan Garlond, he beseeches them to go find Cid's airship Enterprise to confront the primal.

Following the a lengthy investigation in Coerthas to uncover where the Enterprise went missing - getting involved in Ishgard's politics in the process - the trio manage to get the ship bgack to Gridania for repairs. Realizing that the vortex Garuda summoned is probably too dangerous, Cid suggests looking for corrupted crystals in order to counter the primal's defenses, and suggests asking professor Lamberteint. Once the appropriate crystals are found, Cid pilots the airship into the Howling Eye where the dreaded primal awaits.

They soon notice the Ixal had taken several Amalj'aa and kobolds, while the Lady of the Vortex engaged the Adventurer in a fierce battle. Just as victory seemed at hand, the deranged goddess was revived by the fervent faith of the Ixali. Though she normally prefers outright destruction, she resorts to attempting to enthrall the Adventurer - which spectacularly fails as the Echo causes a wind crystal to be forcefully removed instead.

At this point, Gaius Van Baelsar appeared, taunting the primal. Enraged by "impudent mortal," she then uses the power of wind to torture and kill the Ixal's hostages, resulting in Ifrit and Titan appearing in retribution. She intended to overwhelm and absorb the two to increase her power. Unfortunately, the Imperial Legatus took advantage of this moment to reveal his trump card: the Ultima Weapon. The warmachine took down all three primals in turn and absorbed them, ending by biting off Garuda's head.

After the Ultima Weapon was destroyed during Operation Archon, the Ixali wasted no time in summoning the Lady of the Vortex once again. Using an Aetheryte set up in Natalan, the Adventurer returned to the Howling Eye and banished the primal once again.

Gameplay
Garuda is fought as a boss three times at The Howling Eye: first time in the Main Scenario, then in a Hard version in a sidequest, and finally an optional Extreme battle. While the latter two versions are fought at level 50 with a full party of eight, the initial storyline fight is at level 44, with only four players.

The Howling Eye (Hard), notably is required to restore a Relic Weapon, and the later Main Scenario quests starting from Before the Fall require it - along with The Navel (Hard) and The Bowl of Embers (Hard) - to have been previously completed at some point.

Completing The Howling Eye (Extreme) is purely optional, and grants the achievement "Gone with the Wind."

Garuda also appears as a mechanic in the fight against the Ultima Weapon, which uses her along with Titan and Ifrit to perform combination attacks. In both fights, she is the first primal to be ejected from the Weapon.

The Summoner job can summon Garuda-Egi as a ranged pet. It is unlocked along in the level 45 Job quest "Austerities of Wind," upon defeating the Egi, who replaces Emerald Carbuncle.

Final Fantasy Trading Card Game
Garuda appears with a wind-elemental card.