Welcome to FFXIV and the RPC! 
it's a lot to take in, specially when coming from other places, but the community I've found within the game has been the most rewarding and fulfilling I've come across in my RP career. Lore wise, there are plenty of places to go looking, from all of the resources here as other's have stated, to also poking people with the IRL lore book who are willing to given advice. If you make a friend who's been playing since legacy, the old version of FFXIV, you might even discover some lore about the game that's been lost due to the transition~
As for the in game side of things, I can offer a few bits of advice that will help you start off, and also curb some of the anxiety that comes from being new to everything.
1) join an LS. Or linkshell as their called in game. These are player made chat channels that have various different purposes. I suggest joining a Social/OOC based one so you can meet others within the community. I personally suggest Open RP~ as that not only gets you pings for what events are going on that day, but is also full of rpers. And suggest joining an IC/RP LS, which is a gentle way of being able to develop your character given it's them basically talking over a comm. For that one I suggest Acronycal! You can always checkout the linkshell hall here on the RPC for some of the available linkshells.
2) When it comes to free companies, look for one's that are tailored to what you, or your character would fit well in or their interests. There is no rush to join one, so feel free to sit back and simply take in the game, the story, and get your feet wet in the community while looking for one. I'd also suggest looking for free companies that are welcoming of people new to the game, and are willing to give you a hand learning the ropes~ For this check out the free company hall here on the RPC~
3) Attend RP events. Though getting interaction might be a tad hit or miss depending on the size of the crowd, and the mercy of the chat scroll boss. Attending events is still a good way to get a feel for how rp flows in this game, and listening to others conversations may give you clues on lore, interesting characters, the 'current events' of the world and so on.
4) Find a nice place to rp with people willing to interact with you and your brainchild! By nice, I mean a place that isn't crowded and full of people you can interact with so that your character can start growing, and you can feel a bit more settled. If your on balmung, come poke us at Wanderer's Respite! This sort of thing is one of the things were here for :3
5) have fun, and don't feel pressured. This is a big one <3 Above all, make sure your having fun with whatever it is you do in game. If you want to just enjoy the story, and then get into rping, do so! If you want to just rp and save the game stuff for later, that's alright! Take things at your pace, and things will come about in due time. There are many resources, people, and parts of the community that are more then willing to help with any aspect. So don't be afraid to poke us if you need us. n.n
it's a lot to take in, specially when coming from other places, but the community I've found within the game has been the most rewarding and fulfilling I've come across in my RP career. Lore wise, there are plenty of places to go looking, from all of the resources here as other's have stated, to also poking people with the IRL lore book who are willing to given advice. If you make a friend who's been playing since legacy, the old version of FFXIV, you might even discover some lore about the game that's been lost due to the transition~
As for the in game side of things, I can offer a few bits of advice that will help you start off, and also curb some of the anxiety that comes from being new to everything.
1) join an LS. Or linkshell as their called in game. These are player made chat channels that have various different purposes. I suggest joining a Social/OOC based one so you can meet others within the community. I personally suggest Open RP~ as that not only gets you pings for what events are going on that day, but is also full of rpers. And suggest joining an IC/RP LS, which is a gentle way of being able to develop your character given it's them basically talking over a comm. For that one I suggest Acronycal! You can always checkout the linkshell hall here on the RPC for some of the available linkshells.
2) When it comes to free companies, look for one's that are tailored to what you, or your character would fit well in or their interests. There is no rush to join one, so feel free to sit back and simply take in the game, the story, and get your feet wet in the community while looking for one. I'd also suggest looking for free companies that are welcoming of people new to the game, and are willing to give you a hand learning the ropes~ For this check out the free company hall here on the RPC~
3) Attend RP events. Though getting interaction might be a tad hit or miss depending on the size of the crowd, and the mercy of the chat scroll boss. Attending events is still a good way to get a feel for how rp flows in this game, and listening to others conversations may give you clues on lore, interesting characters, the 'current events' of the world and so on.
4) Find a nice place to rp with people willing to interact with you and your brainchild! By nice, I mean a place that isn't crowded and full of people you can interact with so that your character can start growing, and you can feel a bit more settled. If your on balmung, come poke us at Wanderer's Respite! This sort of thing is one of the things were here for :3
5) have fun, and don't feel pressured. This is a big one <3 Above all, make sure your having fun with whatever it is you do in game. If you want to just enjoy the story, and then get into rping, do so! If you want to just rp and save the game stuff for later, that's alright! Take things at your pace, and things will come about in due time. There are many resources, people, and parts of the community that are more then willing to help with any aspect. So don't be afraid to poke us if you need us. n.n
 Want Rp? Send a whisper in-game, pm, or check out the links below! 
