The story, as it unfolds, has been explained in game.
I have had no issues following any of it. The first day , we got a mail telling us that heralds are set up in certain towns, talking to them tells you about the refugees, and to go to Hoelbrak and Black Citadel to assist.
You go there, talk to the heralds and refugee coordinators, the Norn just tell you people are coming from the north because their homes are being destroyed, the Charr tells you their people were pushed out by the Flame Legion.
Then you go out, and assist refugees by fixing signs, lighting fires in camps, helping injured refugees, checking dead refugees and giving their items to the person at the little camps off the roads. There’s also little events along the paths as you go.
Then we get another mail, go talk to the heralds and coordinators, and find out that the refugees are setting up camp in Lions Arch, you go there, you talk to two of them who lost stuff along the way, you go back to each area (Norn and Charr) and try to recover the lost items. Also, we find out that Flame Legion and Dredge have united, and all along the refugee path they are porting in, or using their car thing to pop out and attack.
A week or two ago, two more refugees in Lions Arch tell you that they lost items on their way, and again like before, you go out to each zone and locate them.
I am not understanding why it is vague or how people are getting lost with the story as it is. Locating the items is not that difficult, and there is always people in map chat who will let you know where to go if you ask. The first two items I found was thanks to two people with their commander tags on near the locations to help others out.
