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 " Final Fantasy XIV : A Realm Reborn " . Story . " A Realm Reborn " . Following the Garlean raid on the Scions of the Seventh Dawn , the adventurer stays at the Church of Saint Adama Landama with Father Iliud and " Marques . " Alphinaud Leveilleur arrives 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 returns to the ship to Gridania for repairs . Realizing that the vortex Garuda summoned is probably too dangerous , Cid suggests looking for corrupted crystals 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 primal awaits . The Ixal had taken several Amalj ' aa and kobolds , while the Lady of the Vortex engages the adventurer in a battle . Just as victory seems at hand , the deranged goddess is revived by the fervent faith of the Ixali . Though she normally prefers outright destruction , she resorts to attempting to enthrall the adventurer , failing as the echo causes a wind crystal to be forcefully removed instead . Gaius Van Baelsar appears , taunting the primal . Enraged by " impudent mortal , " she uses the power of wind to torture and kill the Ixal ' s hostages , and Ifrit and Titan appear in retribution . She intends to overwhelm and absorb the two to increase her power , but the Imperial Legatus reveals his trump card : the Ultima Weapon . The warmachine takes down the three primals and absorbs them , ending by biting off Garuda ' s head . After the Ultima Weapon is destroyed during Operation Archon , the Ixali waste no time in summoning the Lady of the Vortex again . Using an Aetheryte set up in Natalan , the adventurer returns to the Howling Eye and banishes the primal . The Ixali are not deterred , however , and summon Garuda once again , seeking an even more powerful version of their avatar to protect them . This time , however , her power is augmented through the machinations of the Ascian s . Even so , the adventurer manages to defeat her once more , finding the ritual focus in the process and rousing suspicions about the Ascians ' involvement . Gameplay . Boss . Garuda is fought as a boss three times at The Howling Eye : first time in the main scenario , then in a Hard version of 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 four players . The Howling Eye ( Hard ) 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 . Completing The Howling Eye ( Extreme ) is 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 . Summon . 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 . Other appearances . " Final Fantasy Trading Card Game " . Garuda appears with a wind - elemental card . " Triple Triad ( Portal App ) " . Garuda appears on a Triple Triad card .