EMU Servers - A Question of how

[Brund the Decrepit]

Ok, I just want to start this off with a quick 'Thank you!"
I am having a TON of fun playing on your server and I have been thinking about just how this is all accomplished.

When you start a new EMU server what are you given to start with? Is the world (zones) pretty much just an empty wasteland of terrain and buildings just waiting for someone to add in all of the NPC's?

Are there pathing schemes already setup just waiting?

Are there any quest scripts in place or do you need to create a new Pearl scripts for each and every quest in every zone for every NPC that gave one?

I am just curious what it takes from the very beginning... the Bing Bang of server startup to when you can get people playing.