The player characters play members of the younger generation of Amberites who have been asked to sort out "a little local problem in our backyard". The Elder Amberites are busy negotiating  a peace treaty with the Courts of Chaos and have set up the known younger generation to deal with affairs at home and in the neighboring Shadows known as the Circle states. After all the neighbouring Shadows are well known to the Amberites and should cause the new generation few problems.

The Shadows of Eregnor and Begma have treaties of protection with Amber. With a disputes over both the succession of Eregnor and over the ownership of a small territory (currently in Begma called Karvesh senior figures on both sides are spoiling for a war. To complicate matters further the people of Karvesh have always wanted independence from both Shadows, and there is a small but active resistance movement there who seek to break away. What is worse is that a new faction there called the Children of Secundus have started a campaign of terrorist attrocities to enforce their claims for succession.

The neighbouring Shadow of Kashfa is ruled over by the mad Queen Jasra who has expansionist designs of her own and is looking for an opportunity to step in and claim more of the Circle states herself.

The player characters all have positions of responsibility that requires they go in to sort out the situation. Each is briefed by the Amberite that they report to over what Amber's interests and goals are in this situation. But do all these goals agree? Will there be treachary and double dealing involved in sorting out the affairs in the Circle States before all this is sorted out? This is after all Amber!