FFXIV 1.0 original story BEFORE Yoshi-P took over

[Enkidoh]

Yes, this has been asked multiple times by different people. Sometimes, I think popular questions like these should be turned into a single, sticky thread, to make it easier for newcomers to find them.

First of all, for the most comprehensive look at the story prior to ARR, look here: The Rise and Fall of the White Raven.

The video version is here: http://youtu.be/TXc0loyuq9I

Second, there is a thread somewhere, in which Enkidoh explained how the original plot line ended very abruptly shortly after the Circle of Knowing (comprising the Archons Y'shtola, Thancred, Papalymo and Yda) confronted Nael van Darnus for the first time. But I can't find it now. The gist of it was that the player-character was one of many individuals blessed (or cursed, depending on whose perspective you use) with the Echo. The Archons gradually directed these individuals to the Path of the Twelve, a secret quasi-religious organisation founded by Minfilia. The hope was that these individuals will learn more about the nature and meaning of their gift through their adventures or personal endeavours.

The return of the primals and the impending return of the Empire, changed everything, but... the storyline never got properly resolved. Yoshi-P took over, and the Dalamud storyline, coupled with the introduction of specialised Jobs became the new main story.

Close - it wasn't actually Nael the player encountered at the end of the pre-Yoshi 1.0 storyline, but Gaius (in fact it was his first appearance in the game). Nael didn't even exist at that point, although it's entirely possible he had been planned for later inclusion, Nael didn't actually appear until the Yoshi-led 'Seventh Umbral Era' story that involved Dalamud's summoning.

Additionally, it wasn't the Archons who originally directed the player to the Path of the Twelve either, but actually the proprietor of the Adventurer's Guild for that city (basically, the player passed out after having an Echo vision and was placed in the Inn - the Adventurer's Guild owner then directed them to journey to Ul'dah to meet with a certain story npc from that city's storyline at 'The Merchant Wards', which was the cover for the original Waking Sands). But you got everything else right.

Also, thank you for the credit, but really, what I know is really the work of the real Loremasters here like Anonymoose, Myranda, Noloetazier, Catapult and others who did all this hard lore searching originally back when 1.0 was still running - I merely repeat their information.