Grooviest Auspice | Ranking the The Four Lords in FFXIV - Wall of Trials

[@itsjezzer]

"By the kami, a talking turtle!" might be the best joke ever done in FFXIV.

[@NibelungJ]

It's on par with the Monster Hunter crossover where you can react to the palico saying "a talking cat!" while playing a miqote.

[@Someone-dv7hw]

@@NibelungJ mirror mirror on the wall...

[@kuronaialtani]

“I. . .I don’t even know where to begin with that one.” -Tataru

[@SlvrStryker]

The funny thing is that it's not even an original line. This was something pulled in from Final Fantasy V. What makes it funny, however, is the context on when it's said _this_ time.

[@FF-tp7qs]

@@SlvrStryker another funny thing, is that Genbu's sharing a model with the Guido minion

[@gundampharmacist7348]

"It feels quintessentially Eastern" That's by design - the idea of the Four Lords is a Japanese trope dating back to antiquity and the Heian period, and even further back in China; each of the Lords is a Chinese constellation seen across the ecliptic (not unlike the traditional Greek Zodiac we're used to) and represents a cardinal direction and numerous other attributes; Genbu (Chinese: Xuanming) is the Black Tortoise of the North and embodies Winter, Night and Water (note his Water Cataracts) Seiryu (Goumang) of the East is the Azure Dragon of the East and represents Spring, Dawn, and Wood (he uses a ton of shikigami - paper minions - as per his onmyouji theming in Stormblood) Suzaku (Zhurong) the Vermillion Bird of the South embodies Summer, Midday, and Fire (this one is probably the most obvious) Byakko (Rushou(?)) is the White Tiger of the West, and represents Autumn, Dusk and Metal (which can be equated to electricity and wind in some aspects) And finally, Kohryu/Houtu, while not one of the Four Lords themself, is the final piece to embody the Chinese elements, representing Earth, yellow, and the 'center.' Notably, they used the design of a kirin for Kohryu in Stormblood, which normally are seen as the most auspicious omen and only appearing before those it deems worthy (and IIRC being graced by a kirin's presence was often credentials for someone aspiring to rule in Chinese mythology) - but even that's referenced by this Kohryu being so consumed by its ara-mitama that any of its benevolence is long gone. While I've yet to find dedicated tales _of_ them, their influence is readily felt in a lot of media from both countries; in short, yeah, you hit this right on the head, just without knowing it. Also, 和魂・にぎみたま・nigi-mitama is part of a whole Japanese philosophy on the soul; the idea of 'mitama' in the first place revolves around four different aspects. Nigi (pronounced 'gee' as in 'McGee') mitama represents the calm and educated side of the soul, while ara-mitama is a violent, bestial side used in combat. There's also the saki-mitama to represent fortune and happiness (which can be associated with Suzaku's duality) and the kushi-mitama that embodies wisdom (which can also be attributed to Byakko having the foresight to seek you and Genbu out). Genbu is obviously the closest adherent to nigi-mitama, while Seiryu is so pissed off that he's already attuned with ara-mitama. PS: Also, wonder why so much anime and stuff has groupings of five, with four specialists/henchmen and one main leader that anchors them all together? Yeah, it's _this._ This stuff gave birth to stuff like the Elite Four and Pokemon Champion.

[@FF-tp7qs]

I've seen the four lords romanised from Chinese as Xuanwu for Genbu, Baihu for Byakko, Zhuque for Suzaku, and Qinglong for Seiryuu. And Kohryuu as Huanglong

[@Smothtiger]

I remember my earliest introduction to the Four Lords was the Bit-beasts that was in Beyblade that the main characters used. Was quite fun to learn more about it afterwards in my early years.

[@FF-tp7qs]

The basis for having 4 henchman is the shitenŌ, the four heavenly kings Bishamonten, Zouchouten, Jikokuten, and Koumokuten Bishamonten is also one of the seven lucky gods, the shichifukujin

[@jacobkern2060]

Kohryu and Seiryu aren't dragons in FFXIV because of dragons being aliens, so the writers made them a kirin and a snek respectively because they're the closest thing to dragons that aren't strictly dragons

[@ericmm6822]

It's not really real Final Fantasy but us old fogeys who plaid Final Fantasy Legend 1, the four world bosses were Byak-Ko, Gen-Bu, Sei-Ryu, and Su-Zaku.

[@rbbird42]

They did a great job making Tataru THAT player that doesn't know mechanics. She chased me across the room trying to kill me with a spread mechanic.

[@Phex1]

All while she is yelling "'You can't leave me alone!" I loved it.

[@mpythonfan828]

I also enjoyed how her carbuncle abandoned her... again!

[@DameonStarflame]

And she's been the best show of how normal people don't see what you see. It's amazing when you think about it... after you're safe from her trying to kill you in a panic.

[@larsbohmer6319]

I was in mental Pain, mainly because I play Black Mage. Has to use a LOT OF Triple Cast and Swift Cast

[@Erthshade]

Tataru, I adore you, I respect you, this is NOT the time for a hug. I'm pretty sure all the markers we see are another effect of our Echo, lore-wise. Normal people just don't know they're there.

[@Eiensakura]

Seiryuu takes form of an onmyōji, a master of yin and yang, and his serpentine form is more of a Chinese Jiaolong 蛟龙, a scaled serpentine dragon to differentiate it from the Dravanian dragons. The summons he makes are Shikigamis 式神, spirits given form, commonly via paper cutouts in onmyōdo. Form wise it's a mishmash of Japanese mythological creatures like the Tengu, the giant heads that looks like Tsurubeotoshis, and the Wanyuudou wheel yokais.

[@darkedge221]

Not just an onmyoji but his design is also mixed with the look and story of the mythological beast Yamato no Orochi. Yamato no Orochi is known to have 8 heads (which was represented by the multi-headed snake rush at the 2nd phase). Townspeople sacrificed virgin women to him to quell storms and tsunamis (as you have also seen in phase 2) much like how Seiryuu's story went. Susanoo (yes that one) was the one who stopped Yamato no Orochi. But with Seiryuu's story, it was Tenzen who reprised Susanoo's supposed role.

[@Dewkeeper]

Yeah both Seiryu and Suzaku have a lot more going with them than is apparent if you've only got western mythology as your basis.

[@Eiensakura]

@@darkedge221 Yeah the Yamato no Orochi mythology also lends credence to his more serpentine nature.

[@2powerstar]

Good to see someones already explained this better than i could, hope they see it

[@darkedge221]

Somebody in the comment section has mention that Seiryu summoned yokais which are the main enemies of Onmyōjis. This might have some call back to the most famous Onmyōji in Japan, Abe no Seimei. Legend has it that he has a kitsune (nine tailed fox) mother and can make yokai his subordinates. He is represented by a pentagram star called the Seal of Seimei (at some point in the phase 1 you will notice that him and his shikigamis are always 5 in the arena but this 5 point pentagram reference might be a bit of a reach xD). On the other hand, I think Seiryuu's checkerboard attack might be a reference to Seimei's rival Ashiya Dōman's seal, the Dōman Lattice. Edit: My bad, the lattice attack is not a reference to Dōman Lattice but an actualy Onmyoudo technique literally called 'Kuji-Kira' (The Nine Symbolic Cuts)

[@fuma5354]

They say that flute in real life mimics the sound a vermillion bird/Phoenix bird call. They use it in the ost. So it's Suzaku's cries for Tenzen

[@Eiensakura]

In Eastern mythology, Phoenixes and the Vermilion Birds are two different creatures but are often confused for the same. The power of immortality is the domain of Suzaku/Zhuque, and not the Phoenix, which is more analogue to celestial grace, the yin to the Dragon's yang.

[@katarh]

phoinix begs to differ there

[@Eiensakura]

@@katarh uh, the Phoinix in P3 is a western concept, not an eastern one. Two different beasts here that just happened to share the same name.

[@ogrimbothesour2976]

tfw we've never actually faught a proper pheonix. we've faught a primal, a vermilion bird and an imperfect experement. they kept teasing how truely rare it is and i like that

[@Hulan6]

Hey y'all, I just wanted to give a massive thank you for the incredible level of professionalism in your videos. Just in general, but what made me comment was specifically in this video: adding an annotation to the DBZ footage that credits Toei animation was such a respectful and professional choice. Yes, I am aware Toei in particular is infamous for being fanatical about trademark, but the number of channels I have watched that - as a researcher - I end up tearing my hair out looking for references or accreditation of sources really makes this stand out. It was just such a nice move to actually credit your clip source... Thank you for all of the hard work you put into these videos. Can't wait to see you next stream!

[@Amovetv]

About to finish my master's. I have anxiety dreams about citations. Glad you geeked out over this! -Garrett

[@Eiensakura]

@@Amovetv As a fellow Master's Degree graduate, I feel your pain.

[@christenlanger]

I won't be surprised if they revive the four lords on an Ultimate-level raid and we actually face Kohryu.

[@nathanprime2434]

We can only hope!

[@kuronaialtani]

Up until now we’ve had ultimates based on just the MSQ and the raid, but that’s because ARR didn’t have a trial series HW does, and now we’ve had DSR/DSU (whichever you wanna call it) after TEA There’s nothing stopping the team from making a trial series ultimate And I for one would absolutely LOVE a real showdown against koryu in all his glory, maybe give him a real custom design instead of being a giant kirin because lol Edit: WE CAN ALSO GET GENBU THE WORTH HE DESERVES INSTEAD OF A DUNGEON BOSS

[@taldir5228]

@@kuronaialtani another ultimate should come in 6.3 if they will not delay it. Maybe we'll get the Warring Triad one now

[@nick_woow]

@@kuronaialtani Technically ARR did have a trial series...which was tied to Hildibrand: Battle on the Big Bridge, Dragon's Neck and Battle in the Big Keep. All I mean by this...Gilgamesh Ultimate when, Papa Yoshi-P?

[@erockbaby3000]

I love that idea!

[@dokb1942]

I am glad i found this channel. Watching you go through and talk about the story and content has been fun and brought up a lot of memories. I can’t wait to see what you both think of shadowbringers and I am beginning to worry that your epic section is not big enough to hold the future. 🤔 Keep being awesome!

[@Pmak]

I can't believe Garrett opened up the trolling for him so open handedly :3 Get ready for all the troll rescues :3

[@Churee]

Don't worry Garret, we are about to hit "oh no he's HOT" levels that shouldn't be possible. Soon. Also I think you should just add a tier above Epic to the wall. Trust me.

[@katarh]

And anyone who knows, knows exactly who you are talking about. To this day we still say "oh no he's hot" in that fight.

[@BastetMusic]

they knew exactly what they were doing when they came up with those designs...

[@maligor]

Oh man they don't even know.

[@alpsi285]

Curious who exactly you're referring to.....🤔

[@azalean9836]

@@alpsi285 there is not a non spoiler way to allude to this. If you know you Know.

[@EightPhasesofTwilight]

Random fun fact, the music that plays between trials in the temple area with all the auspices, that music is directly taken from FF11. It's the theme of Iroha, Tenzen's daughter. Although she does kinda show up in the 11 crossover event that takes place every year, she will likely never appear in 14 for any real reason past that. She was involved with the final 'expansion' for 11 and it was such a good wrap up for the game.

[@Mordak1989]

As a fun side note, Tenzen was a important character in FF11 and the FF14 model was based off of that one. Even had important association with Phoenix in 11.

[@Maria_Erias]

The recent cross-over event with FF11 a few months ago referenced this, I think? Because we had to help a girl who'd come over from Vana'diel and was looking for her master.

[@jacobkern2060]

@@Maria_Erias Yeah, Iroha was i one of the two FFXI/FFXIV crossovers, and she's a character from the expansion where Tenzen's from (IIRC, she's his daughter)

[@oleub23]

correct on that family connection between iroha and tendency. Another related note is that the music that plays in the auspice temple is also from ff11, and is also called Iroha

[@Mordak1989]

@@Maria_Erias Iroha was Tenzen's daughter and her master was the player character in FF11.

[@linkblade0]

Fun fact. The Four Lords are a direct reference to an ancient Chinese myth derived from four Chinese constellations. These creatures were the guardians of the cardinal directions and also represented the Chinese five elements. The Azure Dragon of the East, Qing Long or Seiryu in Japanese. The guardian of Wood The Vermilion Bird of the South, Zhu Que or Suzaku. The guardian of Fire The White Tiger of the West, Bai Hu or Byakko. The guardian of Metal And The Black Turtle of the North, Xuan Wu or Genbu. The guardian of Water With Earth at it's center. They also represented times of day and seasons. Another fun fact is that the beast that represents the Earth in Chinese legend is also represented in the form of the Kirin mount you can get in ARR

[@argent32]

Friend of mine who is obsessed with Byakko always shouts “THROW ME, DADDY!!” when they get picked up for the stack mechanic xD

[@cparle87]

That little jingle at 18:35 reminds me of that jingle that would play on a sitcom or live action comedy when they fade to black before commercial or move from one room to another.

[@sweetpanic705]

Highlight of my week! Thank you for putting together such high quality reviews and taking your time with all Eorzea has to offer! Y’all making me want to try Extreme content

[@DrummerLocnar]

100% the wall of extremes needs to be separate, some fights are improved, or hurt by their higher difficulty

[@sleepysera]

Curious which fights you think were hurt by that 🤔 I feel like every fight was vastly more interesting than their normal mode, personally?

[@SSDexter99]

@@sleepysera Titan

[@tophergerkey]

Thornmarch has been revised and should probably be re-evaluated; Cape Westwind and Steps of Faith are no longer Trials and might need to be removed; Porta Decumana is now a Trial and should probably go on the wall somewhere.

[@elaine_of_shalott6587]

Honestly I think they should wait on the revisions until SE is done with updating the MSQ. Then they can do an episode about all the changes.

[@SRFAA]

@@elaine_of_shalott6587 Yeah, if there are enough changes they can make a video solely for them or tack them on to another video after all changes are done. Personally, they're not that important at the moment to talk about again.

[@jacobkern2060]

The weathered and cracked stone is the "this content no longer exists" indicator

[@BagginsWulf]

I kind of love that Kyle used "succame" as a past tense for "succumb."

[@bakashinobi42]

One comment I want to share about extremes is that they kinda feel like "Part 2" for many fights because the Extremes don't reintroduce mechanics from normal, they just assume you know them so they build off that prior knowledge. They probably feel a bit more impactful because you start those fights running and aren't winding up to get to complicated stuff. Those fights get to start with wipe mechanics in the first minute.

[@moodudable]

1:03 love the pause. the timings and edits are great. very fun to watch.

[@AlleluiaElizabeth]

Four lords is my favorite trial series in the game. So glad you guys liked it.

[@NakuruKouChannel]

Seiryu in Chinese or Japanese culture is a guardian deity that's connected with the color blue or green ("sei" in seiryu is for blue/green) and controls the rain, so it's often associated with water. in fengshui it's associated with mountains and long rivers, that's why the arena is designed the way it is.

[@gordonjackson4040]

This list is shaping up nicely 👍

[@unloyal4847]

Its always a treat and I'm happy to get these vids every week xD

[@texanjoecoffeehouse8141]

You two are amazing, love yall's energy and shows!

[@idleeidolon]

FFXIV non-spoiler spoilers without context is how most FFXIV memes work. Everyone is joking about things that make no sense to you. Until they do.

[@tjl9458]

Some people gave you incorrect information about the Byakko theme. In-game, it's not sung by Yoshi-P. But, during fanfest back then Yoshi-P showed up on stage with The Primals band and sang Amatsu Kaze (the name of the phase 2 Byakko theme) in a fantastic kimono. That version you can listen to on the Journeys FFXIV album.

[@windsgrace688]

Now that you've completed Suzaku and heard her theme "Sunrise", I highly recommend listening to the official remix of it from the FFXIV Pulse album. Easily my favorite track from the entire album.

[@TOjJeto]

Fun fact, but if you are a lalafell when Byakko grabs you, instead of seeing your head just out of the grab, you see your legs just swinging around.

[@ponderingForever]

37:00 - Looking forward to the Susano EX dance

[@draknusdesderdus7506]

Been really enjoying watching you guys go through the game in the way you are. Going through all the patches in release order and rating them as you finish them. Can't wait to see where you rate the Extremes once you start that wall haha.

[@Amlet345]

Back when I was grinding the extremes for this SB fights when it was relevant content, I found that Tsukuyomi and especially Suzaku in particular had such amazingly well scripted music that you can begin to tell what mechanic is coming and when just by listening to the transitions of the music. I hope you guys get a chance to observe this!

[@rjwojo1]

Garrett “Tigers are hot now”... Oh no... Garrett has gone fury... oh wait, he came from WoW.... nvm

[@RothAnim]

These are also some of my favorite weapon models in the game. The ink-splatter effect on Byakko's gear was a must-have for my Scholar.

[@gaistarr]

In the Byakko fight when you're up in the air, it can be a little difficult if you have depth perception/visual problems. I've gotten used to it over the years, but when I did Byakko the first few times I had such difficulty because my depth perception is crap (as well as my vision really)... The first few times I was in there and that part came up, I would move to where I thought was safe, where my vision had said I was safe, only to get hit by a bubble and get a "sticker of shame". Luckily I ran it with friends, so there was no worries of what people would say. I have problems on quite a few fights with that. Luckily I usually have my wife with me so I know exactly where to move to not get hit by things since her vision is much better than mine. She's my "Danger Dorito" for those fights. lol. Where as she has problems with yellow and orange indicators if a similar color is the base, so she follows me around in fights. It's part of the reason why people have "Danger Doritos" in a group, so that people can follow that specific person in order to know where to go to not be in danger. So basically... "We live or we die together!" Comradery is a wonderful thing. But I remember my friends were so excited when I got to this point in the storyline and I was able to do the Four Lords. And to this day I love the story for it as well as the fights. The EX fights are pretty wickedly cool as well, and the mounts are awesome. They're some of my favorite ones. I'm only missing one of the mounts for Stormblood before I can get my Nine Tailed Fox mount (which by the by, only has 7 tails, not 9).

[@josepadron335]

People's problem with the air phase is in the extreme when your grinding for the mount, it about 1-2 minutes of not hitting the boss which adds up

[@jimi_jams]

Glad I bought it when it was available for irregular tomestones

[@katarh]

Bismarck has that same problem. You gotta do the adds in between the carapaces. A fight that could be 2 minutes routinely reaches 4.

[@reshypoo9447]

At this point we down him before the air phase. But also makes duo'ing an option since while it takes longer to beat, there's a much higher chance to win the roll.

[@Demonmack0]

theres a trick to skip that phase.

[@minway3829]

Wreath of Snakes thematically is deeply japanese onmyoudo which isn't as deeply in the western zeitgeist. Suzaku although still very asian/japanese, also has more chinese elements which you'll see more in games. She reminds me of Nezha, but I've seen wukong depictions that share a similar style.

[@Wogle]

This is my favourite trial series, simply because it straddles that self-awareness so perfectly. A lot of times when films, TV and videogames try to do it, they overdo it. However, because of how they balance the actual story I personally enjoyed it a lot here.

[@kuronaialtani]

An interesting detail that I think not enough people notice is that Koryu mistakes you for Tenzin Hell, even suzaku thought you were stealing his “scent” to trick the four lords into ruining themselves Sure, it could just be koryu’s aramitama going crazy in the moment, but once you guys go through Shadowbringers and on, that might have a *very* different potential meaning

[@TheNameCannotBeFound]

Bro, that intro had me on the floor at work. I just had to show my colleague and go "Trust me, man. This game’s so much more than you think! BELIEVE ME!" Sigh, FF14 is such a hard sell xD.

[@hounddog5]

I know that this was mostly a trial-focused video, but since you mentioned Hells Kier, I also wanted to mention that Swallow's Compass was also a 4-person duty that was part of this storyline! It was probably easy to forget about since you did it on a stream with a bunch of other side-story dungeons, but in the story, it's where you got the box of magic aging smoke. More people should unlock that one too 🙂

[@DifunctedReble]

That will be likely a later inclusion to the Wall of Dungeons.

[@DarkHawkeLP]

The problem with getting these in rolo is that you want it to be over as quick as possible. However do to the intermittion phase it takes so much longer. Same with farm. Many people hate the stormblood trials because they are really unpleasant to mount farm because of that mid phase and they take forever. Which makes it so that, yes I agree they are great the first or second time you run them. But when you run them the 10th time or when you farm mounts and you run them 50+ times. You develop a destinct hate for the mid phase

[@beefkat5370]

"shall we go skydiving with the sexy tiger man today?" is quite the question, and uniquely XIV

[@anounyoumissed4073]

With regards to the parting comments on wreath of snakes, I feel like this is where we see a bit of a shift in boss design. As the bosses start getting more complicated and developing layers, the start of the fight eases you in and teaches you the basics before ramping it up and mixing things together. In this case, it takes its time showing off the in and out telegraph and shikigami, before overlapping them more closely in the back half along with more mechanics. This is how a lot of bosses seem to play out moving into shadowbringers and beyond, which i think works pretty well overall.

[@reyennarhel2505]

From what I can tell on Primal, the Byakko complaint isn't that it's difficult - it's that its a long, unskippable animated sequence so people find it time consuming. Personally I don't mind, but some people who like to rush roulettes don't like it as much. Re: Suzaku EX - yes, it is challenging. Even in SHB, running it unsynced at level 80, you needed a full party to complete it. Re: getting hit by Simon Says on Suzaku - the phoenix doesn't speed up but the server ticks are a little wonky on that fight. I found that if you stand on the quadrant while its on fire (not when it explodes) you'll be fine. Generally this game goes off cast timers for ticks and not animations. Also, if you get hit once on that mech, the timing of the bounce makes it so you're basically guaranteed to get hit again.

[@internisla]

I can't say for sure, but I believe the reason people wanted to skip Soar was less for rushing roulettes than it was for shortening runs while doing EX farm parties. A long cinematic sequence is fun when you see it occasionally during roulettes, but it gets tiring very quickly when you're doing a dozen runs back-to-back.

[@Someone-dv7hw]

25:30 I like your thinking Garret. I threw myself of the edge to yeet a tank in a roulette group in an certain trial less than a month after launch >:) They had suggested to the newbie tank to cuddle up to the group with a cleaving tank buster. I was sad they didn't dare to provoke and do it for revenge even though I guess that might have actually caused a wipe xD (I was obviously a healer)

[@daasnahk5058]

Reminder streamers are only just finished 4.4 do try to be spoiler free. Sept 8th will be 4.5 Stream so stay tuned.

[@InRealTime769]

Great breakdown! I would put Suzaku ahead of Byako, but thats a personal preference for me : )

[@nspaulding07]

Garrett once again confirmed he's a snake-hater. NOTED.

[@gentlecard_tom]

This is one of my favorite quest lines. Hildibrand is still my Top side quest but Four war lords is up there

[@Nathikal]

The flute in Suzaku's theme is a reference to a Japanese flute called a 'sho', which is said to imitate the call or cry of the phoenix. So Suzaku was a phoenix playing the instrument that traditionally emulated the cry of the phoenix.

[@AVarghul]

So, as you have summarized with the comment about four lords feeling very "Eastern", Seiryu's design can be a bit off putting for a more western audience. He's a regular Snake that has achieved the status of Dragon -the later being revered through Asia as water-related divinities because their rivers are thin and long, giving them a serpent-like appearance-, aswell as certain types of snakes being able to swin there, which you also mentioned. This is more evident because of Seiryu's command of the elements of Rain, Storm and Sea: these deities would be prayed so to not incur their wrath that would result in storms, causing the rivers to overflow and flood the nearby towns. He's the only of the four lords to straight up embrace his Amaritama side, which means he goes into pretty mode from the getgo and doesn't swap into it during the fight. Also the multiple adds that appear through the fight are his "Shiki": the people that were offered to him as sacrifices but he instead spirited away so as to spare their lives, who now serve their master Seiryu.

[@IceAokiji303]

Oh yeah about not getting to fight Kohryu. Some people have been floating the idea of an Ultimate raid based on the Four Lords, which would be the four, followed by Kohryu as the final opponent. No real indication it would be happening, but could be cool.

[@sonicroze]

There's actually some lore reasons why Seiryu would be a snake - instead of a Dragon. See, Ryu is the Japanese word for Dragon and what Seiryu usually is in mythology. However, "as you know" from doing the Omega fights and other parts of side content, Dragons are actually aliens from outer space. Because of this, it wouldn't make sense for Seiryu to be a dragon. However, Orochi - the 8 headed snake - is a part of Japanese folklore and where the "hydra" aspect you mentioned comes in. Doesn't hurt either that what we would commonly refer to as an "Eastern" dragon is more snakelike in appearance. However, the title of "Dragon" is used a bit more liberally over seas and Kirin is a good example of that, being a horse-dragon, and good ol' Bowser from Super Mario is a turtle dragon. While this does seem more disconnected than other pieces of content pertaining to the MSQ, chilling here at Endgame, I can see a few extra pieces on the chess board that is FFXIV. Speculation on my part, but I think that stone Koryu was sealed away in may have been made of or contain Auracite, or perhaps the Holy Crystal Tenzen had as a Warrior of light, and why he was able to manifest at the end scene. - Using what lore you have already been exposed to. The Auspices were actually referenced in last years (I think?) Starlight celebration (Christmas) where a talking nutkin guided us through the seasonal quest. If you had been through the Four Lords, you were given an extra option upon finding the talking squirrel "Ah, you're an Auspice?" - which had it relieved that it didn't have to explain itself to you. Though it may have been a little lackluster to have Koryu be sealed away without a proper fight, it may have more to do with this falling back on FF 11 lore, where Koryu was (from what I understand) END BOSS territory for the expansion it was in. If/when the 11 tie-in comes back, you can actually get Tenzin's armor as a reward. :) I've been using the chest piece + Suzaku's book on my Summoner for a long time.

[@nhonstop]

Seiryu is a snake that wants to become a dragon. So his 2nd phase have him on what is to be 3 snake heads with a dragon-like body. He dresses like an onmyoji and the paper dolls that you see flying around comes together and form shikigami. Most anime have onmyoji use shikigami as their assistants.

[@theflu54]

So an important thing to note about Byakko is that until the middle of ShB that air phase was not really skippable when doing the mount grind and its effectively 2 minutes of not killing an almost dead boss if you didn't get the skip. And when you are potentially doing the fight 99 times, it can get really annoying. It actually lead to a shift in trial design where in the current tier of fights there are phases like these in the normal mode that take away control, but in Extreme and Savage those are cut in favor of letting you be there for the transition.

[@Koibito247]

Ah yes if you die during the skydiving part of Jade Stoa, your body just spins as you spiral down towards the ground with a huge thud. It’s pretty funny to watch Also that part of the fight gives me epic MM Power Rangers skydiving to Higher by the RHCP vibes, so good

[@Meoiswa]

Will you guys take a moment to go back and re-do Thornmarch now that it was updated?

[@therealkami]

Garrett didn't even notice the Seiryu wheels say "They see me rollin, they hatin" when they spawn!

[@Messner7]

Seiryu explanation that I understand it to be. Snakes are related to water in Japanese mythology. His model looks like a priest. Hence the meditative quality pushes the characters motivation of strength. The “Shiki” as referenced by the turtle are referring to summoned creatures that is tied to Shinto priests. The Shiki look very accurate as seen in Japanese art. You’ll notice that the shiki are made with magic paper origami. So when the mobs die in the first phase, you see the paper lose its magic and break apart.

[@thebacklashwaveV]

So fun fact, the singer for suzaku's fight, is a popular anime VA and ff14 player/fan, who they brought in

[@thebrave9971]

I almost can't wait for them to do the wall of Shadowbringers trials seeing the gang react to the 4 lords trials like this (Also, yeah, I think if you want to do extremes, you should probably do a wall specifically for them since they can be a good bit of variety over their normal/"hard" counterparts)

[@DreadKyller]

Please don't let extremes influence this wall. You should consider extremes to essentially be their own separate thing. By using them to judge the normal versions of trials you're really, really skewing results.

[@JewelsHardstone]

I personally don't like Seiryu much due to how much I farmed the Extreme trying to get the mount back in the day HOWEVER, the snakes in the background doing The Worm dance during the phase transition are top tier (31:55) All of the pop-up text for the shiki summons are great too. From the tengu who are feeling it to the rock guys who tell you they rock to our friend, Big Bappy Slappy, yellin' about the land, THE LAND

[@VillainQueen]

The 4 lords are inspired by a chinese legend. They are the azure dragon of the east (Water), well Seiryuu is a Snake here but he turns dragon like, the vermilion bird of the south (Fire) aka Suzaku, the white tiger of the west (Wind) Byakko and he black tortoise of the north (Earth) with Genbu. I think they incorporated their themes very well into the fights.

[@maceofbass9295]

It's probably because Seiryu EX is the one I've done the most, but I just LOVE his arena aesthetics and the (2nd phase) OST. Love all three, but Snake/Centaur/Hydra dude is my jam

[@stereotreme]

Ordinarily the release cycle for FFXIV soundtracks is the first album (Realm Reborn, Heavensward, Stormblood, Shadowbringers, Endwalker) a few weeks after the expansion drops, which includes all of the music from the MSQ, zones, any new features or events added in that expansion, and the music from the first EX trials and the first 4 bosses in the story raid. A second album containing the rest of the music for that expansion (Before the Fall, The Far Edge of Fate, Death Unto Dawn) releases maybe a month or two after the last content patch drops, and has all the music from the rest of the story raid, along with everything from the alliance raid, the rest of the EX trials, beast tribe stuff, and sometimes a few remixes. The only exception to this was Stormblood, where a second album either wasn't budgeted for, or they just didn't have time with Shadowbringers' intense development cycle. In either case, everything that would've been on a hypothetical 4.5 soundtrack was moved to the beginning of the 5.0 Shadowbringers OST.

[@Tarrot]

On Koryu: FF raiding has Savage/Extreme raiding, and the very hardest level of raiding is Ultimate Raiding. Ultimate raiding usually involves a collection of Duty/Trial bosses as phases that evolve from one to the other. They've released 4 Ultimate so far, starting in ARR (2) and going into Heavensward (2). I would not be surprised (no Dev confirmation) if Koryu is the final trial boss of a Four Lords Ultimate that comes out in a year or two.

[@stonerpatchdummy]

i love that intro!

[@Eelanos]

I absolutely love the Seiryu fight. The first set of mechanics require irregular movement in the group, with around 3 mechanics happening at the same time when adds spawn. Unlike many fights prior to this one, where everyone either moves as a group or separates from one of the players, this fight is very particular with the positioning, with players making safe corridors for other players that will have another mechanic thrown at them at the same time. This felt refreshing after most fights being "The safe spot is here!" (Everyone runs to that spot) But the thing that I like the most is the change to phase 2. When the music changes, I can't help but laugh and shout "Minigame time!" because the song feels like a party game song, and it feels like you're playing one of those as you're dodging mechanics coming from all angles. I think it's just a really fun fight. Also! Four Lords is still tied to the lore of the game. It's not as standalone as you'd think. Some of the stuff that you learn here will set precedent for stuff that will come later on in the main story from both Shadowbringers and Endwalker.

[@DargorMajere]

Just a fun trivia: Suzaku's theme singer is the same as her Japanese voice actress (and Krile's as well!).

[@niteritr]

On the subject of snakes in Florida: YES. I get it. When I was like... 10 or so, we had a rattlesnake INSIDE the house. And I've had days at the river for camping trips or 4th of July when we couldn't swim because someone saw a snake and we were waiting for it to leave.

[@Junebug89]

On the Byakko thing, I don't hate that fight or anything but I was caught off guard by the edge of the arena during the second phase being an instant kill. I assumed it would just restrict movement outside of it. Tenzen was a character in FFXI by the way, not sure how much of anything else in the four lords was lifted from XI but I do know he comes from there.

[@adjwindu70]

Love the progress bar on you ad for your other channels. Lol

[@TarossBlackburn]

By the Kami! A talking turtle!

[@FF-tp7qs]

The eruption of Hell's Lid would also destroy Yanxia and Hingashi, not just the Confederacy. Aramitama and Nigimitama come from Shinto and they are 2 of the 4 Mitama "souls" There's another 2 called Kushimitama and Sakimitama. Nigimitama means Tranquil Soul, Aramitama means Wild Soul, Kushimitama means Wise Soul and Sakimitama means Soul of Fortune Also Kohryuu is originally the 5th beast that represents the centre and the colour yellow and the element of earth Unfortunately kohryuu is just a oversized Kirin model instead of a unique model

[@donimmortal7692]

I think the introduction of auspices is a pretty big for the lore. It open the opportunity to have something more than a primals.

[@Meoiswa]

Yes but they also reinforce the idea introduced at Heavensward that Primals are just manifestations of prayer/hope. These Auspices became imbued with primal-like powers by consequence of their belief in self. They are functionally identical to Ysayle and her belief in being the reincarnation of Shiva.

[@donimmortal7692]

​@@Meoiswa They are completely difference tho, as belief alone isn't enough to invoke primal, sufficient among of aethers is also needed. The auspices came to power completely on their own.

[@brandihouk3937]

l like how you dissect the fights, it will only get more complicated and better.

[@M00nShad0w]

Suzaku was the first ex trial I evr farmed for weapons and the mount. But damn, Seiryu. I loved the fight. Until I had to run it 200 times and never won the mount as a drop. It kinda lost it's shine after that lol. Still a banger trial don't get me wrong, but... yeah. I have some beef with that snake. Aramitama got a hold on me.

[@smilerat8070]

You guys are in for one hell of a treat in Shadowbringer. No spoilers, just the Shadowbringer boss mechanics are amazing in my opinion, though I do simp for that story so hard.

[@Tackleberry61]

"I don't wanna say hardness..hehe heh". lmfao Great video guys!

[@jacobkern2060]

20:40 Suzaku is a peahen that just happened to be born orange, IIRC.

[@Belago03]

In WoW durring Pandaira they referenced the same 4 lords with the August Celestials. Though having an Ox replace the Tortoise.

[@陳威麟-q7o]

The competition will just go harder and harder~. Really crazy.

[@MellowFungus]

These fights are nuts on extreme

[@chrys_stone8716]

Love them all on ex

[@jessnkinz]

So the Jade Stoa 'groan' thing if in your duty finder. If you have motion sensitivity, the falling+tracking the orbs (esp if you are farming this for any reason) it can be very disorienting/make you feel ill. There are a few fights throughout FFXIV (in both raids and trials) that have some issue with either strobe effects/flashbangs/motion sensory issues that can screw some people up.

[@sylas3265]

Oh yeah I can’t remember if Seiryu is shown to be particularly religious or whatever but he’s dressed like an exorcist (I’ve forgotten the word forgive me) and they’re often shown to work with their charms and shikigami. And he’s got it in his attack names like I think summon shikigami is usually what comes up when he’s summoning his adds, or the tethers, and even his giant half floor slapping man. It’s based on timing in the fight but he fits the style really well, I just can’t remember if he was built up right about it.

[@johniiigaisano5576]

I think Nidhogg might get a bump if you guys were able to get to do him on Extreme mode (not sure if that's your basis for Final Steps on your wall). Looking forward to a future Wall of Trials edition which does include the Extreme versions! (And perhaps the Unreal/Ultimate ones too!)

[@drakelx]

So Seiryu’s design has a lot of Eastern Mythology in it. I’m not an expert, but I do know some stuff for the Chinese side of things (not sure if they are similar for Japan). IIRC Seiryu’s story was that he was trying to become an Eastern dragon to fight Tenzen? But in terms of imagery, I guess his aramitama form showcases this. Eastern dragons are seen as gods of rain, hence the water theming.

[@andothersuchnonsense2685]

I like the 68 second intro where Garrett explored his sexuality. Should open with that every episode.

[@Drakochannojutsu]

I don't know if someone else already said this but dragons in eastern mythology tend to be associated with water, and snakes and dragons are linked pretty close because a dragon sapped of power will sometimes turn into a snake, so it's one of those cultural associations that doesn't exist in the west but makes a lot of sense

[@e-rankluck2594]

God I cannot WAIT, til they hit the ShB version of these. I feel like theyre gonna love em

[@izren4415]

i love this videos. strong commentary and endearing friendship vibe. best XIV youtubers. have fun in shadowbringers HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH I'M SO EXCITED

[@thew00dsman79]

What’s neat about Byakko extreme is that at level 90, with proper dps holding, you can completely skip the second phase entirely

[@vgpowerlord]

It will be interesting to see if later expansion fights start kicking things down the Epic tier.

[@seekittycat]

One of us!! One of us!! 🎉😂

[@TheJuglart]

What a great video. Now im thinking you gona need a new wall of trial just for extreme level

[@VaporeonEnjoyer1]

People talk about how they how FF14 introduced them to liking catgirls, lizard girls. rabbit girls... I'm over here like "Am I the only one into these 8 foot tall body builder mountain girls"? Because those abs are rock hard.