So, do we have a map WIP or anything? Or is the current state of the world a blank slate?

Some good stuff to establish first is the "state of the world" in regard to major nations and territories. Need to figure out who the big players are. Classically, that'd perhaps be humans, dwarves and elves; they seem to be the most expansionist of the races, usually have the most legacy and prestige. But I think we could potentially throw in some other stuff.

What about a Dragonborn empire? Those guys could certainly stand to get some more representation.

What about gnomes? Are these ones still D&D flavor, and if so, how much has their Artificer-ing done to promote them in the world? Gnome empire mayhap?

Halflings usually remain pretty humble civilization-wise.

How about some of the big names like Dragons and Giants? Do they have any kind of remaining legacy or unity? Perhaps Dragons are involved in the aforementioned theoretical Dragonborn empire.

What about the goblinoid races? Goblins, Bugbears, Hobgoblins and Orcs. How much presence do they have? Are they still classically malevolent aside from rare cases? Are they united enough perhaps to have their own country that might be competing with or warring with the other "good" nations?

What about cosmology? Should we throw together a god pantheon?

Does anything like a classical "Adventurer's Guild" exist, and -if so- how expansive is it?

And, of course, in all this, we should figure out where the PCs are getting Battle Bus dropped.

I could go on. :)