I apologize for the inline quoting, but you have a lot of questions here. 
The main scenario quest for a non-legacy character assumes that the PC is a new adventurer, traveling to one of the city-states for whatever reason makes sense for them. (You're asked by an NPC during the initial cutscene why you're traveling to the city, and "..." is one answer.) The heads of the adventurers' guilds assume that you're a new adventurer as well. So, if you're good with playing a fresh-faced adventurer, then the main scenario quest supports that.
The Calamity is the attack by Bahamut, and it struck much of Eorzea, causing massive damage to many places. Some places got hit worse than others. The Calamity isn't the timewarp, which was a spell cast by Louisoix on the adventurers at the Battle of Carteneau that saved them by casting them five years into the future. Canonically, no one else was timewarped.
It's a bit more nuanced than that. The main scenario quest explains that no one (with certain spoilery exceptions) can remember who the people who fought at the Battle of Carteneau were; their faces and personalities are washed out in people's memories as if they were backlit by the sun, thus the name "Warriors of Light." No one has a great memory of what happened or who was involved during that time (again, with certain spoilery exceptions).
There are some threads on this forum discussing how this affects IC relationships. I think the current thought of many is that people related to you who don't fall into the exceptions above can remember your existence, but seem to recall you going off to adventure and everything past that is hazy and unknown. Those without a close relationship to you may not remember you at all.
Probably not. You'd really need to be at the Battle of Carteneau to be affected by the spell, though since it was a massive military engagement, presumably civilians providing support may have been nearby. It's also possible you stumbled into the battle. However, the spell didn't affect other places. It's pretty easy, though, to come up with a way for you to be in the spell's range.
We don't know. The Garleans certainly are aware of it, as are certain... other forces, but they were all at the battle (or otherwise involved with it).
You have pretty significant freedom to have your character be from anywhere, including small villages or towns of your own construction that exist only for backstory purposes. Be aware that being from Ala Mhigo, Ishgard, or the Garlean Empire, or moving to the Shroud prior to the Calamity, all have special considerations in lore.
Well, arcanists do, because that's how they do magic. Since lots of signs are written, I think it's safe to assume that most Eorzeans can read and write to some degree, but I wouldn't say it's a requirement. Quills seem to be what's used rather than pens, paper definitely exists and is used for recording transactions and the like, and a notebook wouldn't be out of the question.
The guilds definitely provide formal education, but in terms of universities, I personally am not aware of any in game, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. I'll admit I'm not 100% on that particular part of lore, so I invite someone to correct me if I'm wrong.
(07-21-2013, 08:11 PM)Amiabelle Wrote: In trying to work up a brief outline of my first character, I'm having difficulty figuring out some rather basic questions: How did she get (t)here in the opening scene? And how does she know what she knows?
The main scenario quest for a non-legacy character assumes that the PC is a new adventurer, traveling to one of the city-states for whatever reason makes sense for them. (You're asked by an NPC during the initial cutscene why you're traveling to the city, and "..." is one answer.) The heads of the adventurers' guilds assume that you're a new adventurer as well. So, if you're good with playing a fresh-faced adventurer, then the main scenario quest supports that.
(07-21-2013, 08:11 PM)Amiabelle Wrote: I know that, at the end of 1.0, there was a Calamity and that many people entered some sort of stasis/were thrown 5 years into the future. I'm assuming that covers all the 1.0 players. I'm also assuming that all 1.0 players who were online on the day the game closed were in the battle.  My next question is, did the Calamity affect everyone in Eorzea, soldiers and civilians alike? Was everyone thrown into the future?
The Calamity is the attack by Bahamut, and it struck much of Eorzea, causing massive damage to many places. Some places got hit worse than others. The Calamity isn't the timewarp, which was a spell cast by Louisoix on the adventurers at the Battle of Carteneau that saved them by casting them five years into the future. Canonically, no one else was timewarped.
(07-21-2013, 08:11 PM)Amiabelle Wrote: I get the impression that the Calamity inflicted everyone in Eorzea with some sort of group amnesia. That includes my character.Â
It's a bit more nuanced than that. The main scenario quest explains that no one (with certain spoilery exceptions) can remember who the people who fought at the Battle of Carteneau were; their faces and personalities are washed out in people's memories as if they were backlit by the sun, thus the name "Warriors of Light." No one has a great memory of what happened or who was involved during that time (again, with certain spoilery exceptions).
There are some threads on this forum discussing how this affects IC relationships. I think the current thought of many is that people related to you who don't fall into the exceptions above can remember your existence, but seem to recall you going off to adventure and everything past that is hazy and unknown. Those without a close relationship to you may not remember you at all.
(07-21-2013, 08:11 PM)Amiabelle Wrote: Could my character be a civilian who was not in the battle but was thrown into the future anyway, simply because she was in the wrong place at the right time?
Probably not. You'd really need to be at the Battle of Carteneau to be affected by the spell, though since it was a massive military engagement, presumably civilians providing support may have been nearby. It's also possible you stumbled into the battle. However, the spell didn't affect other places. It's pretty easy, though, to come up with a way for you to be in the spell's range.
(07-21-2013, 08:11 PM)Amiabelle Wrote: Did other areas of the planet suffer from the Calamity? Are they even aware that it happened?Â
We don't know. The Garleans certainly are aware of it, as are certain... other forces, but they were all at the battle (or otherwise involved with it).
(07-21-2013, 08:11 PM)Amiabelle Wrote: Do certain races tend to be from certain areas? My first will probably be a Midlander -- could her hometown be someplace other than one of the starting cities? Â
You have pretty significant freedom to have your character be from anywhere, including small villages or towns of your own construction that exist only for backstory purposes. Be aware that being from Ala Mhigo, Ishgard, or the Garlean Empire, or moving to the Shroud prior to the Calamity, all have special considerations in lore.
(07-21-2013, 08:11 PM)Amiabelle Wrote: Are there any formal schools/universities in Eorzea (or on Hydaelyn at all?)? Can some people read and write? Do people carry pens/quills and paper/parchment or notebooks/journals?
Well, arcanists do, because that's how they do magic.
Since lots of signs are written, I think it's safe to assume that most Eorzeans can read and write to some degree, but I wouldn't say it's a requirement. Quills seem to be what's used rather than pens, paper definitely exists and is used for recording transactions and the like, and a notebook wouldn't be out of the question.The guilds definitely provide formal education, but in terms of universities, I personally am not aware of any in game, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. I'll admit I'm not 100% on that particular part of lore, so I invite someone to correct me if I'm wrong.
The Freelance Wizard
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((about me | about L'yhta Mahre | L'yhta's desk | about Mysterium, the Ivory Tower: a heavy RP society of mages))
Quality RP at low, low prices!
((about me | about L'yhta Mahre | L'yhta's desk | about Mysterium, the Ivory Tower: a heavy RP society of mages))
