I'm surprised the topic hasn't been raised here yet.

Where do you guys think Blue Mage comes from? Jobs typically have some connection to a nation or city, and I'm really interested in seeing where Blue Mage originates from. I've seen a few theories here and there.

Sharlayan: This one strikes me as one of the more likely cases, since scholars who study monsters and magic by being exposed to it does seem to be something I could see Sharlayans doing. The outfit looks like it would also fit in with Sharlayan designs, though it is also similar to Red Mage's style, which brings me to the next theory.

Ala Mhigo: The outfits for Red and Blue Mages are strikingly similar, and we know that the Ala Mhigans were a strong, hardy people who lived rough lives. I could see them taking a Thousand Needles to the face to figure out how to do it. There's also the obvious connection of Rhauban having been a Blue Mage in FFXI.

Ishgard: This seems a bit of a long-shot and mostly is predicated on the idea that the only person we've seen wielding a cane (which we now know is the Blue Mage weapon), is the former Count Fortemps.