Thread: 1.0 Stroyline Information

Easy Answer: YouTube

Here's a Lore Map of all 1.0 quests. Ignore the links, they just go to prototypes of an eventual lore guide (see My Goal below). You just need to YouTube the names of the quests and watch the cutscenes. There's the Main Scenario (each city has a four quest introduction arc, then they combine into the Path of the Twelve Arc) and the shorter Guild Scenarios (small arcs dealing with each city's culture). These all end on semi-cliffhangers, and the Path of the Twelve arc was scrapped and rebuilt for ARR's main scenario. It's not to say these things are no longer canon, but they aren't part of the story anymore and as such we might never get answers about them. The only thing SE kept form the guild scenarios was the story of F'lhaminn and Neillefranse, probably because their stories directly tie into Minfilia, who was kept for 2.0's main story.

After that, you'll see there's a very long and complex Seventh Umbral Era arc, this is when Yoshida-san took over, the VIIth Legion invaded and the Circle of Knowing manipulated the situation to re-establish the Grand Companies, and thwart their advance while at the same time dealing with the primal threat. This story is complex, but complete. I also wrote a summary for this fully canon story arc and SE let Fernehalwes answer some of the unknowns not addressed directly in the story, which is awesome, so here's that: The Rise and Fall of the White Raven

Recommendation: Be a little wary of the summary videos. 1.0 was convoluted and incomplete, and many summaries are rife with errors (even the game itself had a few). Take it all with a grain of salt until you can be relatively sure you've got it all together. If all you want is a general idea of the story, you'll be fine.

My Goal: Rebuild 1.0 as a list of story arcs that contain summaries, synopses, and transcripts that have been organized, proofed, and corrected. It's very slow going because the quests are just massive and I'm the only one working on it, so don't expect too much, there, lol. After more time spent on it than anyone would deem acceptable or healthy, I understand almost all of it and have filled in most of the plot holes via a ridiculous process I can only call "Lore Sudoku." Unfortunately, until I get all my transcripts together, I don't have an avenue to discuss most of it, lol

EDIT
My Second (tongue-in-cheek) Goal: Convince Square Enix to bring back Sthalmann (aka Rostnsthal) in some form. Seriously, watch the four Lominsa intro quests + the Marauder storyline and see if you think this man was on a road to redemption and can't help but wonder what became of that. You know that whole Dark Knight Rises thing where Alfred had that fantasy he'd go on vacation and just see Bruce living a normal life somewhere? That's me, except I've convinced myself that, when expansion packs come out, we'll go to the Far East and find out that Sthalmann (feeling alienated when Dalamud fell and everyone came together under the Maelstrom but still wanted nothing to do with him) sobered up (sort of; you know, enough to function), sailed for a free city on the Far Eastern coast of Othard, and did something great with his life; maybe fighting the Imperial cause and recruiting their refugees into an authentic, Lominsan-style pirate fleet that now defends what's left of the independent cities there.
We'll meet again, yet, ya bastard... <tries to make a Sea Wolf name that means Reforged, or Twice Forged, or Forged Anew...>