Many years have passed since the Norman Conquest, and England is now ruled by King Henry II.
Norman laws and Christianity have been forced upon the Saxon people, who must pay taxes and show deference to their new masters. Over time, more and more Saxon lands and estates have been seized by Norman lords, as England bows to its conquerors. In the great forests — which cover a third of all England — it is forbidden to hunt game reserved for the king. Royal foresters uphold the law, but within those vast woods live outlaws and all who refuse Norman rule.

The story begins amid the war between the Normans and Saxons. Aedric the Wild leads the resistance against the invaders, and through the memory of that struggle, a father tells his son the tale of the fairy Godda — a mystical creature he once saw dancing in the forest, who taught him that, like the deer, one must protect what is sacred.

In 1186, England lived in darkness. The economy is collapsing, and the Sheriff of Nottingham enforces the Crown’s orders with ruthless precision, collecting taxes that crush the Saxon people. At his side, his daughter Priscilla watches and learns — unaware of how deeply power will corrupt them all.

Among the oppressed stands Hugh de Locksley, protesting against the excessive levies. His ancestral castle, seized after William the Conqueror’s invasion, has become a symbol of Saxon loss. The Sheriff reminds him of his place — as nephew to William and cousin to the King, his authority is unquestionable. For Hugh, only one humiliating option remains: to accept the post of royal forester, the only way to secure a future for his son, Robert.

At home, bitter and defeated, Locksley teaches his boy all he knows — the art of the bow, the strength of Sherwood Forest, and his rejection of the Norman gods. To him, the forest belongs to no one, and the new world has no soul.

Years later, Robert — now a skilled archer fluent in French — visits his family’s former castle and encounters Marian, who lives there now. Curiosity draws them together: she confirms his words were true when she discovers a secret passage he once described.

Meanwhile, in Nottingham, Robin’s parents are torn between anger and surrender. His mother wishes to forget; his father never can. Time passes, and fate again binds the children of the two rival houses. Priscilla, now grown, indulges in forbidden affairs and calls herself “dangerous.” Marian, reluctant and proud, is forced to join her father, Lord Huntingdon, on a royal hunt — alongside Hugh and young Robin.

That meeting changes everything. During the hunt, Marian recognizes Robin, and when the party accidentally wounds a man, tension erupts. Huntingdon demands blood; Locksley calls for justice. The Sheriff agrees to a trial, and Marian, defying her father, declares Robin the victor. A connection is born that defies fear, class, and law.

But tragedy looms. The Locksleys are accused of keeping the old Saxon faith and conspiring against the Crown. While Marian discovers joy and freedom among the common folk at a Saxon wedding, the Normans plot her lover’s downfall. In the forest, Robin confides to her that his family name no longer defines him. He chooses another — Rob of the Woods. Their kiss seals an impossible promise.

Back at the castle, Marian lies to her father about where she’s been but eventually confesses under torture. Priscilla, tormented by visions, pleads with her father to spare the Locksleys — in vain. In the dead of night, guards storm Sherwood and arrest Hugh. In Nottingham, he is condemned to die, despite Priscilla’s desperate pleas.

Betrayed, broken, and powerless, Hugh de Locksley is executed. Robin watches — and something inside him changes forever. With his dying breath, Hugh invokes Godda to make his son a weapon. When Robin looks upon his father’s body, only fury remains.

It is there that the legend begins — the outlaw who would steal from the rich and give to the poor.