Backstory
Basically, Merlin (Myrddin) was a great mage many years ago who knew of the old myths of the Universalis Senshi and how she created the senshi. He himself sought to create senshi using life energy, as the Universalis Senshi had. In this way he created the Knights of the Round.

Of course, when Merlin did this, he didn't anticipate the chaos it would cause, because during this time there existed senshi in the area, the Celtae Senshi. The center of this whirlwind was Arthur: by birth he was a Celtae Senshi, but by Merlin's tampering he held the powers of the Knights. This made him easily the most powerful senshi. Thus the seeds of the great battle were sown.

Arthur's half-sister, Morgan, became the leader of the Priestesses of Avalon. At first she helped Arthur, but when Arthur chose to identify himself with the Knights, Morgan's tune changed and she sought to return him to his rightful place: with herself and her sisters and the rest of the Druidic clans. Arthur was able to keep her at bay for the most part, up until the final battle, when Morgan and her sisters reclaimed the wounded Arthur and took him to Avalon.

Eventually Arthur died forsaking senshidom for the remainder of his life, but the descendents of Morgan and her sisters and those of Merlin continued the feud. The world changed around them, developing into its present-day state, and somewhere along the way the Celtae fractured and killed one another.

Slightly before the beginning of the rpg, Merlin's descendents have retaken Excalibur, previously held by the Sisters. The Grimoire, an enchanted book which contains in it the sum knowledge of the generations of Merlin descendents, has foretold the return of the Knights and of the Celtae Senshi. The ownership of the legendary sword Excalibur and of the Holy Grail is now a major issue.

As the story opens, the Sisters have taken Excalibur again and broken it into pieces, knowing that if Arthur returns, the lack of Excalibur, his Knightly symbol, might force him to their side.

England-Specific Senshi  Group Information
The lowdown on the various groups in England and their relation to one another. VERY IMPORTANT!

Location
Here's the tricky part. (As if all of the above weren't tricky enough...) The game in England currently has three single set locations for senshi; Bath, London and Colchester. Due to the travel-and-locate nature of this storyline, you may find yourself and your character located - temporarily or otherwise - to different locations across the country. In the first part, most stories will take place in these three locations, with possible beginnings to branch out as things march on. Many Avalonians, obviously, will live on the isle of Avalon, and it is very possible some stories will take place there.

This means finding a copy of a map of England will be essential to story-writing. (Avalonians, don't worry; you will be able to magically get to where you need to go. For the rest of you poor bastards, there may be a lot of travelling in cars.) There will be at least one group of caravan-like senshi; you may want to consider creating a character who can easily adopt a transient lifestyle.

Why these three locations you ask? First of all, they are all, more or less, southern England. This cuts down travel time for this opening leg. In fact, Colchester and London are only an hour apart by train. Bath is off to the west. Secondly, all three are rich in history, modern, and easily accessible. Besides, ironically, a lot of them have links to ancient cultures and religions.

London – Come on, folks. You all know London. The capital of England, a cultural high spot, home of dozens of tourist attractions, a great starting point for any exploration of the country. The Underground and the city’s system of buses can get you virtually anywhere. Museums, universities, theaters – you name it and you can find it. Look around; you’ll find plenty of information about this city. Just remember – The City of London is only actually a square mile in the center of it all. The rest? Itty bitty villages, once upon a time, that were absorbed as London bustled. This is why you can easily be from Greenwich, London or Hampton, London. Lots of opportunity and lots of information.

Colchester (in Essex) – Another ancient settling place, slightly north of London, Colchester is a smaller city that is actually the oldest recorded city in England. Founded as Camulodunum in about 5AD. It actually just missed being the capital of the Romans’ English territory and chances are we can blame Queen Boudicca and the Iceni tribes for that. After all, who wants to stay somewhere that a handful of “heathens” regularly kick your ass. The ruins of the Temple of Claudius, a Norman castle on top of that, ruins of a monastery, old Dutch settlements, and the still-standing remains of a wall that still has bits that the Romans would’ve been familiar with, Colchester has a rich history of battles and ancient ritual. Now it is an adorable city, nice for a break from busier locales but easily accessible by using its regular train services.

By the by, Angie spent her junior year of college here at the University of Essex. Plug, plug.

Bath (in Somerset) – Our third in Really Old Places, Bath started life as a Roman spa and steadily made its way on into the future, serving in the process as a defense against the Vikings, a religious center, a resort town, and now a must-see in many tourist guides. It owes its existence to naturally occurring hot springs, the only ones in England. It has been viewed with respect since ancient Celtic days when the springs were consecrated to the goddess Sulis. Steeped in such a beginning of belief, it was only natural that, over time, it has hosted a large Saxon monastery and a Norman cathedral. It also continued its reputed healing waters for centuries; people were still streaming in until the eighteenth century and beyond. Today it is quite different – less known for its religious fixtures as for its perfectly kept Georgian architecture. You might know it best as one of Jane Austen’s favored locations, a place of gentility and leisure in her books.

Further British Information And Links
Help de-Americanize yourself with these handy tools!
The Sugar Quill's All Things British (a guide to basic British life)
Angie's Guide to British Schooling
Tannahill Weavers' Scots Glossary
The Knowhere Guide isn’t always grammatically sound, but shows what the people who live in the UK think of the real, living places. Though you’d best take a grain of salt with everything. After all, anyone can submit info for this site.
The official English Heritage website
The Story Of London
Bath: A one-stop site for history and the current life of the city
Colchester: And again!
The London Tourist Board
Remember how we suggested you take a peek at maps?

Well, that should be all of it. Good luck!