Hey there, and welcome aboard to Balmung and FFXIV! 
Getting into your questions...
In any case, once you have your character mostly sorted out, I'd suggest tossing up a Making Connections post here on the RPC to start setting roots down!
Getting into your questions...
- Pearl Lane is definitely the first place that springs to mind. That being said, Limsa is a close second just in general, due to the pirate roots and the rougher atmosphere.
- To my knowledge, the manipulation of aether is pretty open ended in the FFXIV universe. Just about everyone (except for Garleans) can use it to some extent, and with training, to a greater extent.
- It does appear to be a free-for-all; magical instruction isn't exactly regulated. There are certainly guilds out there that teach, but they aren't any more restrictive than the more martial professions in terms of guilds (such as the lancer's guild).
In any case, once you have your character mostly sorted out, I'd suggest tossing up a Making Connections post here on the RPC to start setting roots down!
![[Image: 0edaAPA.png]](http://i.imgur.com/0edaAPA.png)
