1192. Richard, King of England, hasn't returned from the Crusades. Rumours say he may be dead, and his brother John Lackland begins moving his pieces to claim the throne, counting on the support - and money - of the kingdom's sheriffs. Deep inside Sherwood Forest, Marian, young Saxon Lady, tries to convince a family of outlaws to join her in fighting the prince, with the help of a mysterious man in a hood - none other than the Sheriff of Nottingham himself!

Now rid of Prince John's henchman, William, Marian and their friends are finally free to relax a little. Their respite is short, however. A judge known for his integrity and doggedness has been dispatched to Nottingham by the regent to investigate the recent trouble, and from the town's very bowels, drawn by the rumours about the theft of the royal treasure, another gang of brigands emerges, their hearts and intentions far less pure than those of the 'Merry Men' allied with the Hood...