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  1. Tales of Nottingham
  2. Lore

The Ballad of the Greenwood

The World

The legend unfolds in the Kingdom of Albion, a feudal human realm strained thin by war, taxes, and corruption. The rightful king, King Richard the Lionheart (often portrayed as a famed paladin or warlord), has vanished overseas on a holy crusade. In his absence, the throne is effectively seized by his younger brother, Prince John, whose rule is enforced not by honor, but by coin, fear, and blades.

Magic exists, but it’s subtle—hedge-wizards, druidic circles, blessed relics, and the occasional cursed artifact. The common folk rely more on steel and faith than spellfire.


The Greenwood

At the heart of the legend lies Sherwood Forest, known in-game as The Greenwood—a vast, semi-fey woodland where old magic still breathes. Druids guard its deeper groves, beasts seem unnaturally clever, and travelers swear the trees themselves aid those who respect the forest.

The Greenwood is functionally a safe haven for outlaws and the poor—and a nightmare for armored soldiers.


Robin of Locksley

Robin Hood is remembered not as a king, but as a folk hero—a master archer and tactician.

Suggested Build

  • Class: Ranger (Hunter or Gloom Stalker) or Rogue (Scout)

  • Background: Noble (exiled) or Folk Hero

  • Alignment: Chaotic Good

Robin was once a minor noble of Locksley, dispossessed when Prince John redistributed lands to loyalists. Refusing to bow, Robin vanished into the Greenwood and became its shadow—robbing tax caravans, humiliating sheriffs, and redistributing wealth to the starving.

In-game, Robin functions less like a solo adventurer and more like the leader of a guerrilla faction.


The Merry Men (an Adventuring Party)

Robin’s companions are legends in their own right—essentially a ready-made party:

  • Little John – Fighter (Battle Master) or Barbarian; a giant of a man wielding a quarterstaff like a siege weapon.

  • Friar Tuck – Cleric (Life or War); ale-loving, brawling, but genuinely devout.

  • Will Scarlet – Rogue (Swashbuckler); flashy, sharp-tongued, and deadly.

  • Much the Miller’s Son – Ranger or Fighter; represents the common folk rising up.

Together, they operate like a PC party running a resistance campaign, complete with hideouts, informants, and popular support.


The Antagonists

Prince John

  • Lawful Evil noble or bard (College of Eloquence twisted for propaganda)

  • Rules through decrees, taxes, and mercenaries

The Sheriff of Nottingham

  • Lawful Evil fighter or rogue

  • Oversees tax collection, bounty hunters, and brutal “law enforcement”

  • A recurring villain who always escapes—until the endgame

Sir Guy of Gisborne

  • Neutral Evil ranger or fighter

  • A professional bounty hunter sent to kill Robin, not capture him


Maid Marian

No mere damsel—Marian of Fitzwalter is often portrayed as:

  • Rogue (Mastermind) or Bard (College of Whispers or Valor)

  • A noble court insider feeding information to the outlaws

  • Torn between public loyalty to the crown and secret rebellion

She represents the political side of the resistance, operating where arrows can’t reach.