Mine is a world of our long-time creation as well. It's a mix of Arthurian Legend time period, the early portion of the Renaissance of what is our real-life European world, with a healthy sprinkling of Terry Pratchett's Discworld.
- "Magic" has ALMOST been explained away by what passes for science. "Magical potions" were just medicinal herbs. Science is still working to explain away the remaining silly superstitions to fully enlighten the masses. Universities, Colleges, places of study, libraries, are prolific. Anyone who is anyone wants to be "educated."
- No gunpowder yet.
- Elementalism and Alchemy are the "new magics" in the world. The only magic ad magic user classes allowed in the game come from RM2 - Elemental Companion and Alchemy Companion
- "Science" has determined that true elements are derived from the PEM (Proto Elemental Material) and that is the true essence of fire, water, air, etc. and those pure forms can be manipulated. Earth, air, fire, water that we see and use every day are just the residual by-products of their pure elemental forms (PEM).
- "Undead happen." They are like New York City subway rats. They exist, they're big, they're a nuisance. No one really knows where they all come from but there are lots of theories and everyone agrees it's probably impossible to exterminate all of them.
- In Elemental Companion there is a very well written, very detailed time line of the Schools of Elementalism and how they came to be, how they broke off into opposing factions, how each school views the other. Within that framework Elementalism is in the Renaissance stage as well. The complex elements have been discovered, Gravity, Inertia, Vibration, so on but the super complex have not yet been discovered (Nexus, Aether, Plasma...) *
- There are nomadic tribes in the Great Dessert and there is the Silt Ocean where the silt is so fine, it needs to be traversed as if it were water thus opening up the desert tribes to all of the skills such as Sailing, Star Gazing, Navigation, etc.
- I've been slowly introducing the players to the Worshippers of Hrssak (Shadow World: Quellbourne). They are going to become a very difficult group to tend with if they aren't dealt with soon.
- And other fun goodies.
* - I may have the official names mixed up. There are simple, Compound, Complex, and others.