Albion is ruled by fearsome dragons. In the shadow of these tyrannical creatures, the first humans begin to attune themselves to the magic of the land, becoming druids. They make an accord with the giants of Albion, enabling the various tribes of humanity to flourish. The greatest of the giants come together with the first druids to work a great magic, forcing the dragons to sleep. The ravaged land soon recovers, and the humans and giants together guard the dragons' resting places, naming themselves Albion’s Keepers.

A druid rises who is unlike the others. Some say he has gained secret knowledge by eavesdropping on the dragons' dreams, others that he has talked to other creatures, deep in the bowels of the earth. His name is Merlyn and he has a dream of uniting the tribes. His message is simple: One day the dragons will awaken, and on that day the world must be ready. Never again can Albion be allowed to fall under the dragons' rule.

Though the druids do not approve of Merlyn, they do not oppose him either and he is able to start uniting the tribes under one leader. He approaches the witch Morgana for help and she crafts the mighty Excalibur, a weapon so powerful that it will make whoever wields it into Albion’s king. It is the first time that metal is mined and forged in Albion, and Excalibur is the first sword, born of steel and magic. Unbeknownst to Merlyn, the secrets of its making were given to Morgana by demons who whisper to her from across the void.

A great red dragon, Dauthir, rises from its slumber, roaring for those nearby to join it. King Uther leads his knights to battle, supported by Morgana and Merlyn. An epic battle ensues, turning the sky black for three days. When the sunlight finally finds its way to Albion again, Dauthir and the lesser dragonlings it summoned have been slain and the remaining dragons continue to sleep undisturbed. Albion is safe once more, but at a cost: in order to deliver the killing blow, Uther sacrificed himself, leaving no recognized heirs.

With no natural leader, Merlyn searches the land for illegitimate offspring while Morgana suggests her own son as an alternative, but ultimately they cannot agree on a suitable candidate. Merlyn steals Excalibur, giving it to his preferred heir Arthur and declaring him ruler of Albion. Furious at this betrayal, Morgana and her followers rise up in opposition and the humans of Albion have their first and bloodiest civil war.

Sensing that the battle is too evenly matched, Merlyn goes to the Keepers of Albion and shows them the devastation the war is bringing to the land. Hiding his own hand in things, he convinces them that Morgana is the biggest threat to the land Albion has faced since the dragons and convinces them to aid his cause.

Morgana and her forces are forced to retreat and, too proud to accept defeat, she uses dark magic to call for aid. She is answered by the demons who offer their help in exchange for entry into the world. Morgana accepts, tearing open a gateway to hell. With her new demonic allies, the war continues.

After years of war, Merlyn realizes that neither side can easily win and that as the demons spill out into the world, Albion itself is likely to be destroyed. As Arthur leads his knights towards the final battle, Merlyn convinces his apprentices to perform a powerful ritual restore peace. He doesn’t tell them it will also result in their deaths.

As the battle is at its most frantic, the ritual begins, and Merlyn takes Excalibur and shatters it. The resulting explosion kills most of the knights on both sides, and casts the demons back across the void; they drag a screaming Morgana with them as they go.

Merlyn himself vanishes, the oldest of the giants return to the earth and all of Albion is shrouded in mist, sealing it off from the rest of the world.

After many centuries, the mists surrounding Albion begin to fade, allowing a group of explorers to discover it. They report to their King across the sea. The King sends an expedition to Albion. It is mainly made up of criminals and enemies of the throne, who begin to set up rudimentary settlements.

Albion is not kind to these newcomers. Many die, killed by foxes, wolves, and hungry giants. The survivors soon fall to infighting. Some are recruited by the Disciples of Morgana. They scrape together simple versions of the magic and crafts used by the other factions, but these poorly channeled magics slowly drive them mad. The leader of the colony wanders off one night claiming to have ‘heard voices’ and returns a changed man, proclaiming himself to be a Heretic. Shortly afterwards, all contact with the new colonies is lost.

The King sends a large contingent of Royal Expeditionary Forces to secure a foothold in Albion. They settle on a significantly-sized continent within Albion. In truth this space is not actually safe but the Royal Forces do their best to patrol it and impose the King’s law where they can. The colonies are deemed safe enough for civilians. The King allows people to petition for a charter to go to Albion and seek their fortune.