NOTTINGHAM

Robert of Locksley, better known by his peers as Hood, is the leader of the band of Merry Men currently terrorizing Nottingham. Known as a hero of the Crusades, Robert was sent back to England in secret by none other than Richard the Lionheart to look after his domestic interests. Despite being discharged from battle, Hood was thrilled by the spectacle of the bloodshed and resented the King for sending him home so soon.
As the leader of the merry men, Hood’s reign of terror has culminated in a killing spree of Nottingham’s highest nobility–though he seems to have a particular penchant for Nottingham’s tax collectors. While he claims the merry men steal for the poor, it remains unclear to whom, exactly, the stolen funds have been distributed.

Robin’s left hand, and his grizzled second-in-command on the away mission, while Little John holds down the fort at home, Haraldson is from viking stock. He’s fierce and fiery, quick to anger and slow to forgive, and he’s a true believer in the cause of the Merry Men…perhaps even truer than Robin himself.

King Richard’s most devoted enemy, King Phillip of France is no stranger to making plays for power in the royal theatre. Power is his ultimate goal, and Phillip uses his cunning nature to obtain it whenever possible. A jealous king, Phillip is deeply envious of Richard the Lionheart and his battlefield prowess. Rumors still swirl that he and Richard were lovers once. At the news of Richard’s kidnapping, he conspires with Prince John to make sure Richard never returns home — even if it comes at the cost of innocent lives.

Once celebrated for his military prowess, Richard the Lionheart has suffered for months in the captivity of the Holy Roman Emperor, Henry VI. During the height of the Crusades, Richard arranged for the return of Robert of Locksley to Nottingham to quell the dissent of his younger brother, Prince John.

John Lackland. The pompous and greedy Prince John rules England as if it were his own kingdom in his brother’s absence. His peers regard him as “John Lackland”, as it is well-known that he will never inherit any lands, but the Prince has other designs…he holds Richard the Lionheart in contempt, believing Richard stole his rightful place as their father’s heir. He is initially reluctant to pay Richard’s ransom, but caves to pressure from his mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine. His capitulation is for appearances only, as he conspires with King Phillip II of France to ensure the ransom never arrives, leaving Richard in peril. He is a cunning political operator, second only perhaps to his mother.