On the hidden isle of Avalon, mages for centuries have held their society separate from humanity in general. Their creed has always been one of non-interference with the ordinary world. The days of magic interfering with humanity's fate have been gone since the Middle Ages, when the great mage-king Arthur last held power in England.

But now, humanity is on the brink of destruction. The year is 1940 and in Germany a madman has taken power, seeking out the occult magics to help him in his quest for world domination. The council of Avalon, consisting of magi from all over the world, has met on their hidden isle and decided that the old treaty must be broken. It is time once again for mages to step forward and help humanity, for if they do not, surely all will be lost.

A secret meeting between Churchill and the high magi took place, and now a plan is being enacted. The young people of London and other major cities will be evacuated to the country to avoid the bombings. IN the guise of health examinations before their departure, the young people will be examined for magic potential. Those found to have latent abilities will be brought to the isle of Avalon, where a school is being set up to awaken the magic within these potentials and to turn them into powerful mages who may yet turn the tide of war.

All students have been chosen for their magic potential, examined for such during a health screening. Their parents have been told they are being sent away to the country for their own safety - and truly, what safer place is there than a magically concealed island? In this world, magic awakens at the age of puberty, so students are at least 12 years of age. Due to the constraints of the program sending children away, they are no more than 16 years old at the start of their training. (Naturally, as the game progresses, students will age normally). If they are aware of their magic potential at all, it is just that strange things seem to sometimes 'happen' around them - nothing concrete, as they are not trained yet to harness that power.

Students may be male or female, and though they are taken from England, they could of course be from an immigrant family of any nationality.

Teachers have come from all over the world, and can be of many schools of magic - druidic traditions, Egyptian mysticism, and so on. They have one thing in common - they don't want Hitler to win this war, and they are dedicated to training a group of mages who can help take on this growing threat. They are all members of the Society of Avalon, a mystical organization that has been in place for millennia. They've given up what lives they previously had to come to Avalon and train these young people. Their motivations for doing this are as varied as the people themselves.

Teachers can be male or female, of any nationality.

The Headmaster of Avalon Academy, the Dean of Students, and so forth will be played by the operators of the game in order to keep a fair play balance going on. They will ensure that the school runs smoothly, both in character and from a meta-standpoint by reminding players of rules where necessary. This isn't a rules heavy game - there are just a few guidelines to make sure that everyone is having a good time and no one is stepping on anyone's toes.

The Government Evacuation Scheme was developed during summer 1938 by the Anderson Committee and implemented by the Ministry of Health. The country was divided into zones, classified as either “evacuation”, “neutral”, or “reception”, with priority evacuees being moved from the major urban centres and billeted on the available private housing in more rural areas. Each area covered roughly a third of the population, although several urban areas later bombed were not classified for evacuation. In early 1939, the reception areas compiled lists of available housing. Due to revelations produced by the Society of Avalon, government funding is firmly behind publicizing the plan, and has been since summer 1939. Demand is currently lower than expected - only half of all school-aged children within evacuation zones have been registered, rather than the expected 80%.

Churchill is currently First Lord of the Admiralty, having been appointed after the declaration of war against Germany on September 3, 1939. The war is just beginning; France has not yet been invaded, and the bombing of England has yet to begin. Neville Chamberlain is still Prime Minister, and is currently still in opposition to the war. Many are reluctant to move, and mobilization for the war effort is still sluggish.