Welcome.
Basically, the people from 1.0 who were at the Battle of Cartenau were sent forward in time five years. Those who survived the Calamity elsewhere were left behind to pick up the pieces and rebuild Eorzea. The events of the Calamity seem confined to that region, so the planet didn't get blown up, don't worry. xD
A linkpearl is an actual item in XIV that is used to communicate over long distances. It is a small thing that you basically could put on an earring. You can hear others and speak to them via it. A linkshell is the group of people who are connected by linkpearls. A Free Company, which is new in ARR, is the equivalent of what most people call a guild. Not to be confused with a Grand Company (the Maelstrom, the Twin Adders, or the Immortal Flames), or the many guilds in the cities (Carpenters' Guild, Adventurers' Guild, etc).
You'll find a wealth of information in these threads as well as the wiki (see link above!), but feel free to ask any questions!
Basically, the people from 1.0 who were at the Battle of Cartenau were sent forward in time five years. Those who survived the Calamity elsewhere were left behind to pick up the pieces and rebuild Eorzea. The events of the Calamity seem confined to that region, so the planet didn't get blown up, don't worry. xD
A linkpearl is an actual item in XIV that is used to communicate over long distances. It is a small thing that you basically could put on an earring. You can hear others and speak to them via it. A linkshell is the group of people who are connected by linkpearls. A Free Company, which is new in ARR, is the equivalent of what most people call a guild. Not to be confused with a Grand Company (the Maelstrom, the Twin Adders, or the Immortal Flames), or the many guilds in the cities (Carpenters' Guild, Adventurers' Guild, etc).
You'll find a wealth of information in these threads as well as the wiki (see link above!), but feel free to ask any questions!