Could I get some advice on what Class, City-State, and Grand Company I should choose?

Don't suppose anyone else cares to chime in? :)

Limsa Lominsa seems to be the best bet, I think.

For one thing, they'll accept almost everybody (except for Kobold/Sahagin) so long as you have the right paper work/ "visa" to enter the city. They're the only City-State that has been to the New World (where the Mamool Jaa originates) so they've seen/ dealt with many cultures and beast tribes that not many have heard of. Ul'dah trades, but they seem more focused on trading with fellow Eorzeans. At the very least Limsa Lominsans might initially think Au Ra are a beast tribe early in your adventure.

Of course, which tribe of Xaela you choose might also factor in how you choose to RP.

Anyways, Ul'dah don't play much of a role in Heavensward. Though I personally believe that Merlwyb leaving you in your time of need is quite a betrayal.

As for which class/job? I'd go for WAR; you learn to control your inner beast which is kinda similar to taming your inner darkness as a DRK.

Given that Au Rau are introduced into the storyline much later than when you start as a new adventurer, trying to rationalize based on alignment with local lore seems to me to be the wrong way to go about it. Another way to approach this would be to first ask yourself what your character's back story is. Why have you come to Eorzea before the rest of your people?

You've decided to become an adventurer, not an emissary. Are you running from something?

When you look at it that way, you might consider Gridania as a good place to start over, leave your past behind and become an adventurer. As your adventures unfold, maybe you start to look at your past and your people in a different way. Who knows?

I'd say it depends a lot on which type of character you'd imagine your Xaela to be. "Tribal" doesn't automatically mean "aggressive and warmongering". Tribal cultures tend to live a lot more in tune with nature, which would make Gridania an excellent choice based on that. Of course, there's a difference between living with and respecting nature compared to serving nature (which is how I tend to interpret Gridanian culture, which tends to annoy me at times).

I assume you've looked at the information regarding Auri naming traditions, where they also briefly describe the various tribes/surnames of Xaela. (If you haven't, here's one page with said info.)


If you want a more "story" flow, you could start in Ul'dah (since that's where the first Doman refugees seem to arrive) as a Gladiator. Then, when you open up world travel (and get GLA to 22 for Provoke), you could switch to Limsa and pick up your axe. Of course, what little reference is made to your starting city will always refer to Ul'dah, so...
(Second cross class you'll need for Warrior is Pugilist, which is... also in Ul'dah.)

Regardless of what class, always Maelstrom because Admiral Gigantits.

If you want a honest and blunt answer; start in Limsa Lominsa, period.

As a Xaela, starting in Limsa and also eventually being a part of the Maelstrom is perfect for your character. Even though I'm now an AuRa Raen (formerly an Elezen back since 1.0 Beta) the lore allows me to tailor my character to blend in seamlessly with the storyline because of the circumstances concerning the Auri. In every aspect of the game; lore, politics, geography, environment, socio-economic issues etc; Limsa will be your best bet as an AuRa.

Myahele, Amiaze and Sarehpter said it best in their posts above that Limsa is also a melting pot and/or "combination salad" for all the races including beastmen. I also always loved the Meritocracy political system of selecting a leader whereby the best literally becomes the Admiral (without giving away any spoilers, the Admiral seat of Limsa is awarded to the winner of the "Trident race" in which all the pirate crews participate). Besides, Admiral Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn is just made of win. If you doubt it, just watch this clip to understand a mere hint of her epicness (HERE).

Geographically, Limsa also makes sense because it is a powerful seafaring nation, monopolizes most of the fishing including shipping trade routes of the five seas of Eorzea and remain high in trading mercantile imports or exports (especially of wines, ales and exotics). Craftwise I believe blacksmithing and armoury are the best in the land (plus they are right beside each other for convenience).

Job and Class wise, the starting jobs include the Rogue, Arcanist, Marauder plus Limsa is also the heart of the PvP system. Since you want to eventually become a DRK, starting as a Warrior allows you to gradually amass tanking gear on MDR while polishing your tanking skills. Also consider going Warrior. Prior to a minor nerf in a recent patch, Warriors damage output used to be quite impressive. Be sure to be very selective when purchasing gear though, because a large number of the good gear for DRK is actually through dungeons and end-game raids.

Speaking of which, when it comes to the auction house, you cannot beat the convenience and efficiency: teleport to Limsa's main Aetheryte, walk a few steps and you are at the marketboard. And in all honesty if all these reasons haven't swayed you, as far as looks go, I personally adore the city itself; those white marble-looking spires with a hint of alabaster and darksteel iron bridges? Magnificence personified.

True story.