From the publisher's website:

Welcome to Terrinoth, adventurer! Runebound is a strategy board game of heroic deeds and high adventure that invites two to four players to brave impossible dangers and experience the thrill of exploration in the fantasy realm of Terrinoth. In every game, you tell an epic tale of your hero’s path from humble beginnings as you fight to defeat an ancient evil, arisen from Terrinoth’s troubled past to plague its future. In every game of Runebound, you must race against your rival heroes to increase your power and become the hero to save Terrinoth. Adventures are around every bend in the road and behind every hilltop in Terrinoth. You can slay monsters, explore the wild fastnesses, or interact with the denizens of Terrinoth in tense social encounters. Whatever quests you undertake, you must never lose sight of your goal – to destroy the great threat leveled against Terrinoth before another hero can steal your glory.