Why you decided on your race (lore perspective)

[TinyRedLeaf]

Where you can choose if you've been there before. Like my character. She lived in the Black Shroud as a Red Belly, and circumstances caused her to move to Ul'dah. Where in my mind, when asked if it was her first time there, she said yes. So in a way she is an outsider.

That works. It's similar for Lyland. He's from the Ciedalaes, which is technically a part of Eorzea, but it's so far on the fringe that it's also somewhat out of the realm, in that you don't actually get to visit it in-game, except in special circumstances.

And even then, you get to see only some parts of the island chain, specifically Turtleback Island, Locke's Lie and Hullbreaker's Isle. Who's to say there aren't more of them in the archipelago? So, as far as I'm concerned, you haven't actually seen Lyland's home island yet.

As for why I'm so enamoured with playing an overseas character, it's because of the original benchmark demo for FFXIV. I was immediately smitten by a certain white cat, and I knew right away I would follow the same track once the actual game launched. I needed to know who the catgirl was.