It's sad that it's so difficult to do because FFXI has one of the greatest stories... period. In all of video games it's probably the best overall. It's so large and tied together. I'd point you to videos of every bit of the storyline, but without a real frame of reference, it doesn't really work. You can't just read about Castle Zvahl Bailey or watch a single CS of a small part of it. You need to cross that bridge for yourself the first time. You can't hear about locations in CoP or Aht Urghan. You have to have been there. ...man...