Rostnstal

[radhaz]

Is this the same guy from 1.0? Sure looks like it. Maybe Gogorano the mender will reappear too, lol.

[TheGrimace]

Gotta be. He definitely has the same mannerisms and structure, and well, of course, the same name. I was thrilled to see him again.

[ExKage]

Having never played 1.0, what is his significance? I started the questline and his dialogue implied that he might have some history. Who is he? What's he done?

[Atoli]

I refuse to learn from that guy! xD
I'm from 1.0 Limsa, so despite only realizing 3 days ago that half of the past main scenario I saw was only the Echo showing me Rostnsthal's memories, I do remember that he was a bad guy ten years prior to the 1.0 storyline :O

More useful answer:
He once was known by the name Sthalmann and was the right-hand man of the Admiral back when they were still just the strongest pirates, unlike nowadays.
But his lust for power took over and he kind of sacrificed his crew to have them fight an unneccessary skirmish with the Sahagin so he could (probably murder the Admiral, although it's just known that he was killed at a convenient time) get his hands on an artifact of unlimited power. In the end he loses both the artifact AND his crew and and 10 years later, when he first encounters the player, he is merely a pitiful drunkard who has trouble paying his debts and brooding over the loss of his crew. He kind of helps the player a few times, but still...xD

[KylePearlsand]

Snip

This is correct. He also forms a 2 man crew with the player early in the storyline and Y'shtola was the one who contested him when he attempted to claim the artifact. In the end it was stolen by a Ascian in the shape of a Elezen man. Pretty sure said object appears in 2.0 as well. I recall seeing a horn in a similar shape make an appearance in the story.

[lololink]

Spoiler from the MCH quests :

In the quest he says that he made a mistake in some way that injured one of his friend that was in outer La Noscea and that's why he went there, he wanted to see if that man was all right.