Day Zero, Regions : Bright Empire

The Bright Empire controls much of central Skyelund and encapsulate many peoples so almost every physiology can be found. The emperor or empress is an nominally a hereditary position, although from a large group of families. When the ruler dies family members compete mentally, physically and morally for the position of emperor in a series of games. The Pelorian religion once had great influence in Bright Empire politics but a successive series of emperors have, some say, turn the tables and now much religious influence is driven by it's rulers. There are however many sub cults who still reflect Pelors noble aspects, particularly the Paladin cults. Clerics from the Bright Empire universally follow Pelor as Sun domain worshipers.

Wizards in the Bright Empire are held in higher esteem than other counties and magic schools, large and small thrive without harassment. Necromancy, however, is banned and mages who practice shadow magic are hunted down and dealt with in a way that stops them coming back as undead.

The standing armies of the Bright Empire are made up of ranks of Knights and skirmishing Scouts. Slayers are rare, but some merchants employ such men and women as bodyguards and hired muscle. Thieves, while not common, are to be found in number in most major cities.

Geographically the Bright Empire has a broad range of areas made of lands conquered and mostly pacified , the southern coastal cities are opulent and not a little decadent, while the villages of the grain lands of the central empire are people by conservative, earnest and stoic folk. The advanced and wealthy lands eventually fall away to less cultured and peaceful domains. These borderlands skirt the great Old Forest and mountain ranges, said to populated by fae, trolls, giants and worse. Along the border with the Coastal Kingdoms constant low level warfare plays out between the battle hungry Kordians and the crusader knights of Pelor All Father.        

Day Zero, Regions : Lesotha

Lesotha is a region that sits on the borders of a vast and impenetrable jungle. The semi-nomadic tribes that cling to the coast and rivers are a tall black skinned people, famed for their singled mindedness and noble treatment of friends and strangers alike. Lesothians worship Death, but believe the gods only have sway over mankind when they die therefore Death's priests are greatly respected but have no political power, and are free to wander as they see fit using the power of Death to guard mankind against the undead and other horrors that slither from the jungle. Slayers, Scouts and Hunters make up the vast majority of what military the Lesothians have. Mages are rare and reviled, while thieves are almost unheard of. Sometimes a warrior who dedicates themselves to Death becomes a Cavalier.

Ancient ruins both vast and labyrinthine are found within the jungles around Lesotha, and it is whispered that the inhabitants worshiped snake gods. The jungles also contain terrible giant lizards and strange unimaginable creatures that sometimes come a pray on the tribes people.    

Day Zero, Regions : Drune

The north lands, know collectively as Drune is a heavily forested, sometimes mountainous temperate land whose most northern stretches deciduous forests becomes evergreen giant pine and much of the year snow covers the ground. The people are fair skinned, with dark hair and brown or blue eyes. Spirit worship is the key religion and Druids form the main clerical cast. Druids are also law givers and protectors of the balance, an essential part of Drune life. Drune warriors are brave and deadly Slayers who fight as individuals rather than the well drilled soldier Knights of the south, while Drune Hunters are some of the deadliest archers in Skyelund. Finally Drune Mages are rare but not unheard of, although they are notorious for their reclusive and dour nature.  

Some of the tribes have split from Druidism and have fallen into Shadow and rumours of night assassins and warlocks are rife, if rather unsubstantiated.    

Myths of the Drune speak often of spirits and fae who inhabit notable places in the far places of forest. While the Fir Bolg, giants of legend who were pushed out by the coming of man live amongst the hills and mountains.

Robert A. Heinlein standard response form

This made me laugh out loud, which admittedly isn't that unusual. I'm easily lulz'd.
Tick here

Day Zero, monsters of myth

In a low fantasy the world does not teem with a multitude of creatures. To heighten the sense of wonder and terror that creatures of myth should convey most magical beasts should be unique, while non human sentient races should be both rare and unusual.

Campfire tales speak of giants, ogres and trolls but who knows if they are real or just imagined. Goblins, elves and other faeries are said to inhabit a side world called the Feywild which can be reached by getting lost in the deepest forests and mothers will frighten their children with tales of what should happen if they wander far from home. Great knights set out of quests to bring back the heads of Dragons and other fell beasts but few castles can boast such trophies. Dark wizards are said to summon legions of the walking dead or command terrible demons.

One great thing about 4e is that it's easy to stop foes feeling the same, so I shall pillage the various monster manuals and just present them as human.

Day Zero, player races

Humans. That's it. Starting players may only choose to play humans. Events may unlock other playable races for PC's. This idea is ripped straight out CRPGs and will be interesting to see how it pans out. Traditionally characters have a relatively high survival model in table top RPGs so it maybe that players have to elect to drop an existing character to pick up a new one. However I definitely want a sense of danger in the game, and will be making resurrection much harder than it is in core 4e.

Day Zero, the Gods and others.

Skyelund has four main religious regions.

To the north spiritualism and the druids that venerate them hold sway. Theirs is a ad hoc religion, which changes rapidly between the tribes that litter the land. In some places vicious animal totems drive their factions to raid and plunder while in other regions are peaceful and just. Druids who seek to maintain the balance across the lands rather than just within their communities are known as Sentinels and are both feared and respected. Druid.

The coastal kingdoms follow the god Kord, The Storm God, God of Strength and Courage. This leads to conflict within the kingdoms as it's priest urge the nobles to out do each other, however Kord is also the god of honesty therefore the actions of the armies of knights are guided by strict noble codes. Priest of Kord strive to show their strength, determination and spirit. Wandering warpriests, know as Truthsayers, act as judges both in competitions and in law matters. Warpriest (Storm)

The Empire Of The Sun, which occupies central and eastern Skyelund worship Pelor as state deity. Pelor is the Sun God, Light Of The World and All-father Of Man. The empire depends on Pelor's All-father status to hang is conquering nature on, believing that all men deserve to live in Pelor's light whether they want to or not.  However Pelor's role as the soul shepherd means that those clerics of a more martial bent are sent out to defend the living from the walking dead. Paladin Cavaliers of Pelor are the brightest knights of the empire and their holiness is renowned throughout the world. Warpriest (Sun), Paladin Cavalier

To the south in the Jungle borderlands the noble Lesotha people worship Death without name. They believe that only in death do the gods have hold over the people and so do not allow their priest to interfere in politics. However they greatly venerate their dead so the priests are venerated in other ways, despite seeming to work in the shadows. Warpriests of Death seek to counter the evil the seeps into the world from the Shadowfell. Warpriest (Death)

There are other gods. Secretive hidden beings that work behind the scenes and rarely for the good of mankind. Those who study religion will know of the whisperer, a god of secrets and the Night goddess. The most fallen and wicked worship demons, Demogorgon prince of destruction and Orcus lord of the undead being the most infamous. It's also said that to the east other gods and even devils are venerated. Once other things walked the lands and their gods leave shadows too.

Day Zero, a name.

Why is it that sometimes names for made up things come so easily and at other times it's a struggle? All new worlds deserve a name, so that they may live in the mind and also so you can tag your posts.

Skyelund

Hopefully that encapsulates the strength of the sky gods, Pelor & Kord have in the region while -lund has, I hope, a euro-medieval feel to it. 

Day Zero, a new world spliced together.

I have a new group to play games with and I've volunteered to run the first sessions. After asking the group, it game down to low fantasy or cosmic horror. Since I'm rather taken with Dungeons & Dragons 4e Essentials it's that I'm planning to run. I'm hoping another in the group might run Cthulhu.

I really enjoy 4e, both as a player since it gives everyone something to do and has plenty of options, and as DM as the tools allow for fast adventure creation. Essentials is simpler than standard, or should that be advanced 4e and given that some of the players may have no table top experience, for now it suits the group. Best of all, essentials converts to advanced 4e easily.

I've recently re-read both the Fafhrd and Gray Mouser stories and second Chronicles of Conan omnibus, so low fantasy has been very much in the forefront of my genre headspace. One of the group is a new found fan of the Song of Ice and Fire series, and loves Dragon Age CRPG which both have a more pseudo medieval feel but none the less fit. Perhaps I should send him off to the Green Ronin website. I've always very much liked Jack Vance although instead of stealing so much from Dying Earth I'll take this time from Lyonesse and it's faerie realm.

So I've got my sources - low fantasy, pseudo medieval, the 4e D&D default setting, with decent pinch of old school D&D and faerie. And let's not forgot Conan with it's cosmic horror elements.