The Royal Menagerie is a Trial in Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood, in which the final boss of the Main Scenario of 4.0, Shinryu, is fought.
Story[]
Normal[]
Shinryu, Ilberd's draconic god of vengeance, has been claimed by none other than Zenos yae Galvus, who has used his power as a Resonant to merge with the primal and bind it to his will. Transformed into a towering being of pure violence, his very existence poses a threat not only to Ala Mhigo, but to the entire world. All now falls to you and your comrades, for if you do not stop Zenos yae Galvus, no one will...
In game description
The Minstrel's Ballad: Shinryu's Domain[]
A god born of sorrow and despair. A man who lives only for death. As one they fought the Warrior of Light, and as one they fell. No words could do this titanic encounter justice...unless they come from the wandering minstrel, to whom no event is beyond improvement. As his nimble fingers pluck out the chords, his rich voice carries you to a place above the world, one that is at once familiar and foreign: Shinryu's domain.
In game description
Progression[]
Normal[]
The battle is fought on a platform hovering in space. After Shinryu casts Protostar, the platform is split into nine tiles (a 3x3 grid), and individual tiles can be targeted or destroyed by the boss. If a player falls off the platform, they die, but can still be resurrected (unlike, say, in The Navel). Shinryu is extremely large, similar to Sephirot or The Manipulator, and as such is omnidirectional.
Shinryu has access to a handful of recurring mechanics, including the following:
- Akh Morn: a several-hit tank buster which deals splash damage, similar to The Final Coil of Bahamut - Turn 4.
- Earth Breath: Targets two random players (except for main tank), which will then place the AOE cone to where they last stood. Inflicts a damage over time debuff when hit.
- Holy Breath: Targets non-tanks and inflicts damage on player within area multiple times.
- Ice Storm: Raid-wide AOE damage.
- Levin Bolt: Targets 7 players (except for main tank) and deals damage.
- Hypernova: A stack damage that must be shared.
- Line knock back telegraphs which alternate.
- Corrupted Aether: A gauge (from 0 to 100) which increases throughout the fight. When the gauge reaches 100, Shinryu consumes all of the Corrupted Aether unleashes an attack of one of the six elemental abilities:
- Tidal Wave: Creates a waterfall on one of the cardinal points of the platform, which has a massive knock back effect. Creates three puddles which inflict Lightning Resistance Down II but grant Fire Resistance Up II while standing inside them.
- Hellfire: Heavy raid-wide damage, which is fatal without Fire Resistance Up II.
- Earthen Fury: Deals raid-wide aoe, and destroys one of the blue cracked tiles. Only used in the final phase.
- Judgment Bolt: Can deal raid-wide damage which must be healed through and has a chance to inflict Paralysis (which can be cured with Esuna). Fatal when coupled with Lightning Resistance Down II.
- Diamond Dust: Heavy raid-wide damage which creates a slippery floor. Leaves a puddle when ice is gone. Only used in the final phase.
- Aerial Blast: Spawns a tornado in the middle tile, which continuously knocks back and deals raid-wide damage. Only used in final phase.
After the first phase, Shinryu will target several areas on the platform for proximity damage, spawning adds at each of the targeted points. This repeats three times. Finally, Shinryu will begin channeling aether "to create a new star", and after a countdown will cast Protostar, dealing massive raid-wide damage, and then inflict Fetters on the raid and initiate a Active Time Maneuver. This transforms the arena and begins the final phase. Shinryu retains all mechanics from the first phase.
Immediately at the start of the final phase Shinryu uses a Divebomb/Cauterize-style attack, which covers nearly the whole platform, save for portions of two tiles; this also serves as a knock back, though if one positions far enough from the edge it is possible to avoid falling off. Shinryu also gains the ability to target two tiles and crush them with his Tail, destroying one and covering the other with the Tail. When the Tail is destroyed, Shinryu takes massive damage. Shinryu also can inflict a pair of players with Burning Chain, a tether which does damage proportional to the the distance between the two players, or none at all if the tether is broken.
The Minstrel's Ballad: Shinryu's Domain[]
The arena in the Extreme version is in the grid pattern from the final phase in the normal version of the fight. The green platform in the middle is important, as if it breaks the whole arena will collapse and wipe the party. All platforms have two hits until they break. Once the fight starts, the Worm's Heart will be targetable. Players should destroy this first to deal more damage and prevent Shinryu from healing. Throughout the fight the heart will reform. If its up when the Corrupted Aether gauge reaches 100, the party wipes. Shinryu's Earthen Fury deals massive damage and breaks the two side platforms in the middle, and cracks others. Afterward the party is afflicted with burning chains—tank to tank, healer to healer, and dps to dps. Players need to run in the opposite direction of their partner to break the chain. Once again the Corrupted Aether bar fills and Tidal Wave begins casting. Players should look around the arena for a water spout and run towards it to avoid being knocked off.
The next mechanic is Tail slap. One of the healers will get a green marker. They should run in the back of the arena, and have it hit at least one undamaged platform, so the party can damage it. Right before the tail hits the arena, Shinryu's wings will summon icicles opposite Shinryu. Players should pick a safe side where the icicles aren't at to avoid. After the tail is destroyed, Shinryu will either cast Hypernova or Judgment bolt.
- Hypernova: The party should stack in one of the water puddles to resist the fire damage.
- Judgment Bolt: The party should spread out and not stand in water, as it deals more damage.
The heart will be up once more. The party should focus that down, after which Shinryu will prepare to slam down on the platform. The party should move out of the red AoE, while his wings cast Ice storm, which deals raid-wide damage. Next, Shinryu will target the main tank with Akh Morn. Both tanks need to soak this one with cooldowns. At the same time a DPS will be targeted with Akh Rhal. They need to move out to avoid damage. Next will be a combination of Hellfire and icicles or Judgment Bolt and icicles.
- Hellfire+Icicles: Players should stand in water to reduce the fire damage and actively avoid icicles.
- Judgement Bolt+Icicles: Players should not t stand in water and need to avoid icicles. After this goes off some players will get the Paralysis debuff.
Next is another tail slap mechanic. One of the DPS will get the green marker, and they should drop it in the front or the middle depending on which platform is cracked.
Another repeat of mechanics, and then Earth Breath will target a healer and DPS. They need to move to the far left and far right respectively. Next mechanic is a combination of Diamond Dust and burning chains. Both healers will be marked and during Diamond Dust, one healer should slide to break the tether. Four Reiryu's will tether to all DPS and cast Dragon Flight. These heads must be healed up to full. A tank will be marked with the Tail Slap. They need to take it to one of the back platforms.
Next is a repeat of mechanics, and Aerial Blast, which is similar to normal. Before the phase change Shinryu will leave the arena and show up on one side to perform a divebomb. Players need to move to the outer edge of a tile to avoid.
Once Shinryu's HP is under 44% he will cast Dark Matter. An Active Time Maneuver will start and the next phase will begin. Once on the platform a proximity marker will go off. Players should run towards the edge of the arena with a platform on another side. Once Touchdown goes off players are thrown on to another arena.
Next is an add phase. Players need to stay stacked to shield the upcoming damage. After two waves of adds, 5 players will be marked to control where the next adds will spawn. It is best to not drop them too close to each other. Next is Protostar, which is high raid-wide damage. After that, Shinryu will target the arena with Tail Spit. Players should stand on the outside of the AoE, with their backs to the corner of the platform. Players can run along his tail after the knockback and avoid the lasers as they will stun. Once on the new platform, Shinryu will target the tank with Tera Slash to give them a physical vulnerability debuff. During the cast, the off tank should provoke to take Shinryu.
Next up is Atomic Ray, which gives players stack markers and burning chains. They need to run to break the chains, and stack in pairs. To signify where everyone is going, one can mark pairs, or use waymarks to form a square. Next is a combo of abilities different than the previous phases.
- Icestorm+Levinbolt: Players should run in small circles to avoid being frozen, and spread out to avoid stacking levinbolt .
- Icestorm+Hypernova: Players should stack and stand still to get frozen, and hypernova will unfreeze them.
After one of these is either Benighting Breath—a large front conal AoE—or Wyrmwail> To do this mechanic correctly one will need to stand under the boss in the Doom puddle. Mechanics will repeat until Shinryu has 23% of his HP left, and he will cast Tidal Wave. Players should jump on the back of Shinryu, and destroy the wings, which are casting their own spells. A ranged Limit Break on the wings destroys the one that is nearing its cast, and then the party can focus on the other one.
Enemies[]
- Shinryu
- Left Wing
- Right Wing
- Tail
- Hakkinryu
- Ginryu
Musical themes[]
The theme of the first phase is called "Scale and Steel" (also known in game as "The Worm's Head"), and also plays at the end of "The Far Edge of Fate" when Shinryu fights Omega. After Shinryu casts Protostar, a remix of the Stormblood boss theme called "The Worm's Tail" begins to play.