[quote=@Burthstone]
I've never done a D&D game before either.

I once did one, but it quickly devolved into D&D with out about three quarters of its rules cut out.

As for histories...

I just wrote most of Mithera's for the first time in that collab post.
[/quote]

I like to use the book Central Casting (I have a PDF) and roll up little details and build from there. It's quite fun.