Favorite Job Storylines from a lore standpoint

[Daemius]

What are y'all's favorite job storylines? I really enjoyed the first two quests of WHM and everything from SMN/SCH up to 56 as all three jobs seem to be heavier on lore than the others so far. I will definitely want to finish those out at some point, but I'd like to hear opinions from others so I can figure out what else would be worth leveling just for the storyline. I've got AST/BLM/DRK all to 60 already with none of their stories being super interesting (DRK and BLM were cool to 50 but kind of tame afterward).

[Fenral]

WHM is definitely the meatiest as far as lore goes. Healing trees has never been so badass (hence why I call it WHaM). I suppose it helps that having Raya and Ruhn as job trainers is pretty much the closest we'll ever get to learning directly from one of the city-state leaders. Only done ACN up to 50, but the Nymian stuff in the Scholar story is pretty cool, too. SMN feels kinda redundant to the MSQ as far as all the Allag and Ascian references.

The rest that I've done have all been pretty good as stories, but lacking as far as overall lore development goes. The AST story definitely feels like Sharlayan could become the bad guy of a future expansion.

[Donaria]

The dragoon story is good even better now with heavensward story. Estinien story makes more sense now with the eye controlling him. However the post lvl50 quest are just ok. Post 50 quest show what it's like for an Ishgardian to be branded as a heritic even if they were forced to drink the dragons blood against there will. Kinda shitty of your own ppl to be like that.

[Donaria]

Loved the DRK quest but then I got the post 50 quest.

[FJerome]

Machinist, because it has no history yet and you and Stephanivian are making the whole art up as you go along. I like thinking about how it's your brand-new soulstone that's going to become the artefact reverently passed down generations from now.

White Mage and Scholar are both pretty neat when you get those special story hooks for certain dungeons relating to the history of your job.

[Theodric]

Early DRK (30-50) is my favourite so far. 'Fray' is pretty cool and the quests were very satisfying. Unfortunately it all went downhill for me after Sidurgu and the little brat he guards entered the picture.

[ohmRICE]

Machinist since we're the ones pretty much creating the foundation for it instead of inheriting ancient knowledge. All of the guild members were entertaining as well, it felt like an actual guild.
If other classes count I'm pretty fond of the Botanist quests. Learning about how Gridanians view nature and other nations along with the post-50 quests where you learn about the origin of gysahl greens was more interesting than it should've been.
(and how apparently anyone can get into Ishgard if they just say they're your retainer...)

[Enkidoh]

Personally, from just the starting quest for MCH I think it's origin story is a cop-out though, especially as the 'Job' isn't really being created from 'scratch' as it might appear at first, given Rosenthal has been a Musketeer since before the Calamity (and MSK was long planned to be an actual Discipline of War in the game - it's class logo and Guild even exist in ARR!). Really the only thing being 'created from scratch' with MCH is the use of the turret - the gun skills have long been used in Limsa Lominsa, and all that is being done is the Soul Crystal will be filled with Stephinian's new theories and ideas on automatons and enhancing the gun. May I be proven wrong by later quests once I finally get around to levelling the Job!

The level 50-60 SMN Job quests were probably the most interesting to me, given they reveal a fair bit about the true nature of the Ascians, something which the main storyline has continuously side stepped (that and it also features Y'shtola's sister as well ). The PLD quests sadly were a major let down, It seemed to have well and truly ran off the rails past 50, and the whole resolution to the crisis was such a deus ex machina moment I was left face palming by the end. So yeah, SMN was definitely my favourite so far.

[TinyRedLeaf]

The summoner storyline is my favourite, of course. But then, I'm biased, because it is Lyland's main job.

It does go beyond mere bias, though. Primarily, I was thrilled by the summoner's close links to the main storyline in ARR. Given that it's one of the Scions' main goals to defeat primals, it makes sense that their ace would be someone who's specifically trained to destroy primals by tapping their aetheric essence. And the summoner storyline remains the only one I'm aware of that specifically features the Ascians, the prime antagonists of the main storyline. And that makes it seem even more likely to me that the summoner was "meant" to be the canonical class of the game (at least for ARR; it's hard to deny that the dragoon has taken over as the "iconic" job in Heavensward).

And then there's the Allagan connection, with summoners being the ancient civilisation's precursor to the Ultima Weapon. In my imagination, going into the Crystal Tower and the Coils of Bahamut had been both a thrilling and sobering experience for Lyland, as he gradually learnt that this ancient art which he thought would be a force for good actually had tainted roots. The turn of events had a powerful, far-reaching impact on his character development, that continued into Heavensward.

And finally, taking on Odin in Urth's Font was that much more meaningful as a summoner armed with a fully awakened Veil of Wiyu. It felt right, in that Lyland was avenging Wiyu, who gave her life to prevent the Elder Primal from killing her comrades, some 5,000 years ago.

TL;DR version: Summoner for life!

[Belhi]

As far as actual lore provided goes? Id say its a tie between SCH, SMN, MNK and AST. WHM had stuff but a lot of the things we saw were rather vague in terms of detail. WAR, NIN, DRG, BLM, DRK and BRD got into details on their particular arts but were mostly personal stories. PLD was just confusing and seemed kind of pointless.

SCH gave us a lot of insight into the Nymians. Most of our understanding of them and what happened with them and the Tonberries comes from that quest. It is one of our most detailed sources of info on the War of the Magi.

SMN touches on the Allag but it also goes into the nature of primals as well as being really our only window into the nature of the lesser Ascians, something the MSQ never deals with.

MNK not only had a story discussing the nature of MNK techniques and the way Aether travels through the body but it also had Eric's rather interesting lectures on history. A lot of what we know of the Autumn war and Ala Mhigo comes from the MNK quests and Eric's lessons.

AST introduced the form and function of celestial bodies and their influence on the Aether, and Fate as well as showing us not only a window on Ishgardian politics but Sharlayan politics. Special mention to the Pole star which is only visible at the moment of death and judging by what we know of the other six consolations and Eorzean metaphysics seems to tie to either Hydaelyn or Zodiark or both.