Shiva is the god of destruction in Hindu Mythology. Being a part of the triad of the most powerful gods, Shiva in Final Fantasy XI is referred to as a destroyer. However, there are some aspects of regeneration to FFXI Shiva as well. As for the Avatar's appearance, the Hindu Mythology's image has been replaced in FFXI by the image of Shiva as the Ice goddess. She looks very much like an Elvaan. She rules the glaciers of the north and aids a Summoner gain control over cold and ice, but only after you prove yourself to her.
To get the Shiva Avatar you have to defeat the Ice goddess first. You have to have the required fame to start off on the quest. Then it is your choice if you want to try defeating Shiva at level 20 fighting solo, or in a prime fight later at 60+, along with a party.
When you set out to look for the Ice goddess, it would be handy to have a conversation with the people mapping the starts. They can be found in every major city in Vana'diel and they'd be happy to chat with you about the map of constellations. The North Star will act as a guide to you and the cyan colored star, Aeomatra should represent Shiva. The easier way though, is to go to the NPC in Northern Sandoria near the watchtower. The NPC's name is Castilchat and he'd be standing next to a Taru.
Like with all of the Avatars, you have to play smart with Shiva. Prepare beforehand and work out a plan of action to counter the Sleepga spell. At the point where almost 50-60% of Shiva's HP is gone, be prepared to have the Mages drop back out of the reach of the Diamond Dust spell. Otherwise, coping with 12000+ damage in one go isn't going to leave your party with much left in the tank at all.
| Skill | Level | MP | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Axe Kick | 1 | 10 | Inflicts substantial physical injury |
| Blizzard II | 10 | 24 | Inflicts ice elemental damage |
| Frost Armor | 28 | 63 | Casts 'Ice Spikes' on the party members |
| Sleepga | 39 | 54 | Puts enemies to sleep |
| Double Slap | 50 | 96 | Inflicts a twofold slap attack |
| Blizzard IV | 60 | 118 | Inflicts ice elemental damage of higher potency |
| Rush Delivers | 70 | 164 | Deals five physical attacks in quick time |
| Diamond Dust | 2HR | * | Deals enormous AOE ice elemental damage |
*The 2HR damage requires at least double the MP of your current level to be implement, and it drains all the available MP
