I have a good answer for this, use what you want. Use the newspaper, use fantasy novels, Use real life. If you want to follow someone elses world try to follow it as best as you can. I read this trilogy of books where this guy existed in the "real" world like you and me (or at least you...
). He had leprosy, and he kept entering this fantasy world thru accident. Anyway, the world had an awesome array of character types (there were these warriors named "chords" who would fight with nothing but a piece of rope, and these (can't recall the name of them...) deadly martial artists who were the kings bodyguards...)
SilentThief