Seventy years ago, something completely unexpected happened. The Demon Lord, an individual now known as Leslie Thomson from New Jersey, executed a large-scale magical attack on the pentagon. In a panic-stricken 4 days, the world was exposed to the secret magic and sorcerous conflicts that went on in dark alleyways hidden from unassuming eyes. Suddenly, the pentagon was disconnected from the rest of the world via a rift that made it so that nothing could get in or out. Grotesque things that could only be described as demons assaulted capitol buildings in Maryland, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Backed by a coalition of alt-right nationalists, Miss Thomson lay siege to the north east of the united states in an attempt to create a kind of magic, racist, fundamentalist Christian ethno-state.
On the evening of the fourth day, a coalition of occult groups launched a counterattack on The Demon Lord’s forces. Malleus Maleficarum revealed itself first in a big way. Live news broadcasts were interrupted by footage of witch hunter squads laying waste to the unprepared racists. Originally thought to be members of The Demon Lord’s forces due to the flaming cross, Our Lady of Perpetual Wailing raised the dead to use against the demons of Pennsylvania. A cabal from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that would found the STEM order of magic utilized their laptops and mathematics to destroy the rift around the pentagon in a pyrotechnic display of fractals and imaginary numbers. The New Jersey city of Trenton saw pitched fighting in the streets as a coven of mages that combined eastern schools of magic with modern knowledge of the human body to fight back. In the end, The Demon Lord was stripped of her magical charms and defensive spells and turned over to federal custody.
The elders of the magical world gathered together and decided that the curtains were drawn back on the world. Everyone was aware of the powers of magic and it’s application. No one would be able to put the genie back into the bottle. So, many cabals from around the world sent representatives to the United Nations to debrief the leaders there on the truths of the ancient wars that went on behind the scenes. The times after that were complicated and in some ways, everything changed. In other ways, everything stayed the same.
All of this happened years before you were even born.
So, it doesn’t particularly matter.
You tested high enough on the CAT-E (Comprehensive Alchemical & Thaumaturgical Examinations) that you’ve earned a spot in the prestigious Dawnside Academy. The sprawling academy is on Dawnside island, off the coast of florida. It’s far enough off the coast that it’s technically in international waters but submits to the laws of the United States. The island has the various academy buildings, the old temple complex, and the village. When not attending classes, students are allowed to go anywhere on the island except clearly marked areas. The island does have a curfew (for the safety of the students) but aside from several key rules, students are allowed a huge amount of freedom for an institution devoted to teaching magic.
The school year is broken up into four quarters. Since no class is in session during summer break, students must either find accommodation within the village or return to their homes. At the end of each quarter, a week is devoted to finals. Between the first and second quarter is the Harvest break which covers winter break and includes all hallows eve. Between the third and fourth quarter is the Awakening break which is the equivalent of spring break and includes Walpurgis Night.
So study, learn, and enjoy yourself.
You’re stuck here for the next Four years.