The calamity affected all of Eorzea in some way. I used it in Crofte's background all the way to Ala Mhigo's southern tip to say that her coastal village was destroyed by a tidal wave. I do not think it's too far fetched, seeing Limsa Lominsa get pummeled in the old opening cinematic.
Crofte used to have low tolerance, but it's increasing steadily for some reason. She reverts to her inner child in extreme bouts of inebriation. Cannot control the volume of her voice, accent becomes more prominent, and no longer cares for modesty.
Watch the ARR opening cinematic.
The two most popular ways:
1.) See all those normal people standing around the cities watching death rain down from above? Be one of them.
2.) See all of those soldiers running for their lives as Bahamut breaks free? Be one of them.
All Paladins are trained by the Order of the Sultansworn at some point. Their fighting style and tenants are what makes a Paladin. They are the ones who bestow the title. It used to be a closely guarded secret until they were faced with dwindling numbers and the fear that their knowledge would die out. So now they train Free Paladins who do not have to swear fealty to the Sultanate.
From a role-play standpoint, you could be either one with little difficulty. The only difference is political alignment.
Here is a link to a prior thread with more info than you'll ever need:
http://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/showthread.php?tid=8358
This is why I never keep anything important on a computer anymore. If there is anything on there that you cannot bear to lose, print it out and keep it in a fire-box. If my computer dies tonight all I lose are my save game files