Smaller migratory waves of au ra did occur before the events of Through the Maelstrom, as evidenced in the backstory of one Sidurgu Orl. I don't think it's impossible for a family of au ra merchants to have migrated to Eorzea and settled in Limsa Lominsa earlier than that, especially as they're more likely to have survived there (Limsa Lominsa accepts the presence of all friendly Spoken, including beastmen) than the Orl tribe were in Ishgard. But it certainly wouldn't have been common - it's not like there would have been a community of other au ra in Limsa for this family to take part in, so much as a community of other miscellaneous races that weren't one of the Five.
So it's not the au ra in Limsa that sticks out to me as odd, but the xenophobic au ra in Limsa - why would they have chosen to settle in Eorzea's most multicultural city? Why leave Othard to begin with?
So it's not the au ra in Limsa that sticks out to me as odd, but the xenophobic au ra in Limsa - why would they have chosen to settle in Eorzea's most multicultural city? Why leave Othard to begin with?