(04-03-2016, 03:50 AM)Guy Tower Wrote: II. Where can I find as much info on game's lore as possible?
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/forums/646-Lore have more info, but it's basically either copy-past from the wiki or players' deductions based on the game, ergo, no solid facts that aren't already on the wiki. Is there more to be found, or is that it (not that I would mind. I've played WoW - I had enough of lore the size of Harry Potter saga)?
Hey there! If you have any questions regarding the lore or world of FFXIV, feel free to ask here or on the forums and we'll try to get them answered for you! There is a lot of lore in this game, and unlike most games, its kind of realistically spread out and you have to discover the real-ish story by piecing together a hundred little snippets. It can be kind of overwhelming. But, I've tried putting together a few threads that should help with the basics. Hopefully the starter kit can help you too!
Eorzean Lore Starter Kit
-Racial Lore Compilation
-Class/Job Lore Compilation
-Hydaelyn Geography Lore
-Eorzean City-states' Political Structures Lore
-Eorzean Units of Time and Measurement Lore
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(04-03-2016, 03:50 AM)Guy Tower Wrote: III. Now a bit more specific questions about my idea for my main character.
We could do a bit of a brainstorming over this one if you feel like it. Anyway, beta version of the idea is this - a Hyur Highlander named Guy Tower (duh). A young lad in his mid twenties, Guy has spent his life in a cold city of  Ala Mhigo. After Garlean Empire's invasion seized the land, Guy joined the resistance. Years passed and resistance's valiant struggle changed little. Eventually Uncle, Guy's only relative he knows, sends the lad to Eorza after making him swear that, one day, when he grows in strenght, he will return to his homeland and help reclaim it for the nation of Ala Mhigo. Coming from a family of warrior defenders, always there on the front line, he felt an inclination to travel to Ul'dah and see if the school of Gladiators can teach him something new.
I saw this got addressed earlier in the thread, but I'll go ahead and bring it up again. Ala Mhigo fell 20 years ago from the start of ARR. (Depending on how you subscribe to the idea of time passage in game, an explanation for which can be found by clicking this link, anywhere from 20-22 years have passed since Ala Mhigo's fall.) This means any character under roughly 30 years old would not remember the Ala Mhigo as it was. Remember also that for 5 years prior to Ala Mhigo's fall, it was in a state of civil unrest under a mad tyrant who held public beheadings of its citizens daily after the fall of the Monkhood, the foremost military, political, and religious organization in the city-state at the time. So even a character in their young thirties (like mine) would more readily remember this particular five-year time period as what Ala Mhigo was. Alternatively, you could still have an Ala Mhigan character who lived in Ala Mhigo after the fall under Garlean rule and later escaped thanks to the Resistance.
I've compiled a ton of lore on Ala Mhigo, the Fists of Rhalgr, the Resistance, and what happened to the Ala Mhigans after the fall of their city state in this Ala Mhigan Lore Masterpost.
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(04-03-2016, 03:50 AM)Guy Tower Wrote: As mentioned, I'll roll a Gladiator, taking a Paladin job in the future. Question is, how can I explain Guy having Paladin skills (items are easy) without making him another member of the Sultansword (I heard that is a cheesy thing to do)? Are there other organizations that train their members in blade and shield? Will the "self-learned" excuse pass?
As others have said, a Paladin comes in one of two varieties: the Sultansworn and the Free Paladin. The Sultansworn, founded 600 years ago by Jhal Tristram, is an elite guard of defenders who patrol the palace, protect the Sultanate, protect the Sultan(a)'s treasury, and investigate crimes related to said treasury or against the Sultan(a). Of late, the Sultansworn have seen a decline in their ranks and have been picked apart by the Monetarist political party in Ul'dah. In an effort to preserve the art, current Sultansworn Captain Jenlyns created the Free Paladins, a group of commoners, adventurers, or knights of exceptional quality who could be taught the art of the Paladins, but would bear no strict allegiance to the Jewel. These travelling paladins would be tasked to go out into the world with naught but the code of the paladin and protect the innocent from harm, thereby defending the smallfolk that the limited number of true Sultansworn could not.
Now, your character doesn't have to be a Paladin or a gladiator of the Bloodsands in order to be taught sword n' board. It can be the product of the self-taught knight, something learned while in Ala Mhigo, or perhaps as a mercenary, or by one of the High Houses of Ishgard. There's tons of options! The Coliseum, the gladiators' guild in Ul'dah, will teach its members how to fight with a sword and shield, though that is not a requirement to be a true gladiator. Conversely, fighting with a sword and shield also does not make you a gladiator. A gladiator is someone who has fought on the Bloodsands.
Here's some lore links you may find helpful:
-Gladiator Lore Masterpost
-Paladin Play Guide by Coatleque
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(04-03-2016, 03:50 AM)Guy Tower Wrote: Are there any particular kinks towards playing a Highlander Hyur? So far, I understand that they are basically a more warlike, less rafined Midlanders, but there is surely more to it (the joke about Roegadyn mother was nice, hehe).
Lore for all the races can be found here or in the race background thread linked above. But I'll go ahead and quote what I have there in the spoiler below for you.
Hope this helps! Of course let us know if you have more questions and we'll be sure to get those answered for you. ^^