Welcome, Nerdella! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />

Verdistis does sound like a good choice at the moment, and you might also want to take a look at one of these threads:

Early Starting Tips

Early Starter Tips (Non-spoiler version)

For the fights, remember you can usually run away, take a nap, and go at it again! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" />