Summary: Calming Byakko. Soroban gets a taste of his future.
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The Jade Stoa
-Byakko leads me outside, to Yanxia. He tells me of his youth, how he was shunned for his white fur. He survived, grew in power, and resolved to protect this land.
BYAKKO: “In time, they came to see me as a guardian instead of a demon. And yet, for all I have done to rise above the beast within, I may fall to m**ness and become the sum of their fears…”
-This fight is an 8-player trial, “The Jade Stoa.” Prep notes:
Boss: Byakko
PHASE 1
-He grabs and throws players. Run to the thrown player and stack to split incoming damage.
-Then immediately run behind the boss.
-Unrelenting Anguish: dodge red orbs.
PHASE 2
-Stand behind the tiger add, Hakutei.
-DPS down Hakutei ASAP.
PHASE 3
-While falling, dodge AoEs and red orbs.
-AoE safe zone is usually next to Byakko.
PHASE 4
-Hundredfold Havoc: Dodge first lightning wave patiently, then dodge second.
-Distant Clap: AoE. Safe zone only in his hitbox.
-The trial area is this bamboo forest in Yanxia.
-Byakko starts the fight by transforming into a humanoid creature with a tiger head for an arm.
-That humanoid/tiger fusion splits during the fight. Phase 2 has me fight just the tiger part of him, “Hakutei.”
-He then throws us into the air with a tornado. We dodge his attacks on the way down.
-SUPER fun fight, one of my favorites mechanically. A real sense of action, like this giant tiger is tossing you around.
-Afterwards, Byakko tells me how he met Tenzen long ago. Before Doma even existed.
-As Byakko grew in power he also grew in loneliness. One day, a man approached him, unafraid. Tenzen,
Hee! XIV!Tenzen looks exactly like XI!Tenzen.
-They were kindred spirits. Tenzen was also thrown out by his tribe for his unique power – Tenzen could speak to beasts.
-We head back to Reisen Temple. Tataru’s here, and Genbus’ been training Soroban.
-Tenzen apparently had the Echo too! That’s what granted him his Doolittle powers.
-The auspices built Reisen Temple after Tenzen’s death, to maintain the wards around Koryo and to honor Tenzen’s legacy.
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The Jade Stoa
-Byakko leads me outside, to Yanxia. He tells me of his youth, how he was shunned for his white fur. He survived, grew in power, and resolved to protect this land.
BYAKKO: “In time, they came to see me as a guardian instead of a demon. And yet, for all I have done to rise above the beast within, I may fall to m**ness and become the sum of their fears…”
-This fight is an 8-player trial, “The Jade Stoa.” Prep notes:
Boss: Byakko
PHASE 1
-He grabs and throws players. Run to the thrown player and stack to split incoming damage.
-Then immediately run behind the boss.
-Unrelenting Anguish: dodge red orbs.
PHASE 2
-Stand behind the tiger add, Hakutei.
-DPS down Hakutei ASAP.
PHASE 3
-While falling, dodge AoEs and red orbs.
-AoE safe zone is usually next to Byakko.
PHASE 4
-Hundredfold Havoc: Dodge first lightning wave patiently, then dodge second.
-Distant Clap: AoE. Safe zone only in his hitbox.
-The trial area is this bamboo forest in Yanxia.
-Byakko starts the fight by transforming into a humanoid creature with a tiger head for an arm.
-That humanoid/tiger fusion splits during the fight. Phase 2 has me fight just the tiger part of him, “Hakutei.”
-He then throws us into the air with a tornado. We dodge his attacks on the way down.
-SUPER fun fight, one of my favorites mechanically. A real sense of action, like this giant tiger is tossing you around.
-Afterwards, Byakko tells me how he met Tenzen long ago. Before Doma even existed.
-As Byakko grew in power he also grew in loneliness. One day, a man approached him, unafraid. Tenzen,
Hee! XIV!Tenzen looks exactly like XI!Tenzen.
-They were kindred spirits. Tenzen was also thrown out by his tribe for his unique power – Tenzen could speak to beasts.
-We head back to Reisen Temple. Tataru’s here, and Genbus’ been training Soroban.
-Tenzen apparently had the Echo too! That’s what granted him his Doolittle powers.
-The auspices built Reisen Temple after Tenzen’s death, to maintain the wards around Koryo and to honor Tenzen’s legacy.
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Tortoise in Time
-Soroban has been training hard, but he’s still not ready to re-energize the wards. “He simply lacks… divinity.” Ooh, is that Soroban’s arc? Is he going to become an auspice?
-The other two Lords we haven’t met yet are Seiryu and Suzaku.
-To help, Genbu and Soroban have to open a “tamate-bako,” a box holding the power of time. The box will magically age Soroban for 1,000 years, turning him to an auspice (temporarily).
-Yikes. One creature knew that the aramitama would eventually overtake him, so he opened the box to age himself to death. Suicide by time warp.
-The box was placed under lock and key. My next task is to overcome certain trials and recover it.
-The 4-player dungeon to access this is Swallow’s Compass. This is a visually stunning dungeon. It starts outdoors in three elemental-themed rooms.
An underwater tunnel between sections.
-The second boss is some awesome giant watery blob thingermabob.
-The final portion of the zone is the best. We hop from across cliffs via flying clouds, and the final boss is a monkey monk who soars in on a flying cloud.
-I retrieve the tamate-bako at the end and bring it back to Reisen Temple.
-Here we go. Time to unleash the power of time on Soroban. He’s (RIGHTFULLY) nervous.
-Smoke pours out, washes over him…
-NO TATARU DON’T RUN UP TO IT, WTF?? She thinks it’s a fake and eats a mouthful of time smoke.
-Genbu knocks her away, but it’s too late.
”My… my face! My beautiful face! It feels like aldgoat leather left in the sun!”
-It’s only temporary but I’ll treasure these 30 seconds of Old Tataru.
-Oh shit, we were so distracted by Tataru that we didn’t pull Soroban out in time! He’s been aged to the point where his aramitama has run wild. We have to fight him to calm him.
-Thankfully, this won’t require another 8-player trial. It’s a solo scenario, with Genbu and Tataru helping.
-It takes me two tries, because Tataru is literally the worst party member ever lol. She gets an area effect on her and starts chasing me for help, dragging it onto me.
-He reverts to his former self, forgetful of what just happened. That was a glimpse of his future? Whew. Soroban’s got some major league power on the horizon.
Tortoise in Time
-Soroban has been training hard, but he’s still not ready to re-energize the wards. “He simply lacks… divinity.” Ooh, is that Soroban’s arc? Is he going to become an auspice?
-The other two Lords we haven’t met yet are Seiryu and Suzaku.
-To help, Genbu and Soroban have to open a “tamate-bako,” a box holding the power of time. The box will magically age Soroban for 1,000 years, turning him to an auspice (temporarily).
-Yikes. One creature knew that the aramitama would eventually overtake him, so he opened the box to age himself to death. Suicide by time warp.
-The box was placed under lock and key. My next task is to overcome certain trials and recover it.
-The 4-player dungeon to access this is Swallow’s Compass. This is a visually stunning dungeon. It starts outdoors in three elemental-themed rooms.
An underwater tunnel between sections.
-The second boss is some awesome giant watery blob thingermabob.
-The final portion of the zone is the best. We hop from across cliffs via flying clouds, and the final boss is a monkey monk who soars in on a flying cloud.
-I retrieve the tamate-bako at the end and bring it back to Reisen Temple.
-Here we go. Time to unleash the power of time on Soroban. He’s (RIGHTFULLY) nervous.
-Smoke pours out, washes over him…
-NO TATARU DON’T RUN UP TO IT, WTF?? She thinks it’s a fake and eats a mouthful of time smoke.
-Genbu knocks her away, but it’s too late.
”My… my face! My beautiful face! It feels like aldgoat leather left in the sun!”
-It’s only temporary but I’ll treasure these 30 seconds of Old Tataru.
-Oh shit, we were so distracted by Tataru that we didn’t pull Soroban out in time! He’s been aged to the point where his aramitama has run wild. We have to fight him to calm him.
-Thankfully, this won’t require another 8-player trial. It’s a solo scenario, with Genbu and Tataru helping.
-It takes me two tries, because Tataru is literally the worst party member ever lol. She gets an area effect on her and starts chasing me for help, dragging it onto me.
-He reverts to his former self, forgetful of what just happened. That was a glimpse of his future? Whew. Soroban’s got some major league power on the horizon.
-Flashback, to how Genbu met Tenzen.
-He got his first vision of disaster when he was only 100 years old.
GENBU: “But what was a little turtle to do? For while I had seen the future with crystal clarity, I was powerless to stop it. I could but look on, helpless, as cities burned and men died.”
-One day, he waddled up to a village to warn them of an imminent rockslide. But he’s just a turtle! They laughed at him, couldn’t understand him.
Then Tenzen came. He listened, and helped, with his friend Byakko. They convinced everyone to flee.
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Random Stuff Around Eorzea
The Eorzean crooner Mean Martin:
PANDA MOUNT!
One of the Monster Hunter World crossover rewards, Poogie the Pajama-Clad Pig:
Sharp Meow!
A player with the glorious name of Butterscotch Bill:
lol butts
The first Doctor himself:
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Next time: Helping the third of the Four Lords, the firebird.
