Characters have to be approved before playing in any capacity in the world. Fact is, Layonara is huge, and there's really not a lot of "looking around" that can be done to get a feel for the world and its inhabitants.
If you want to get an idea of the world playing, spend some time searching the forums, and by all means, download the handbook. OK, yeah, it's 300+ pages, but it's full of great information.