Terra

4,125 years since initial death
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A New World.

Upon hearing of it, it sounded too good to be true. He's been alive for thousands of years, the thought of a new undiscovered land seemed practically impossible. Traveling from the northern part of Scotland, east to Japan and even south to the southernmost part of Africa; it was hard to believe there was a whole new continent he could have missed. Granted, he was hesitant about traveling again at first. But the thought of it piqued his curiosity.

If the New World really did exist, then it could be his opportunity to start over, to live a new life in an unexplored region of the world. A part of him even figured it may be his life's purpose to be one of the first to venture into these uncharted lands. It sounded silly at first, but his skepticism continued to grow. There was only one way to be sure.

After his time in Italy was over, he traveled back north to London, England. It was there that he had heard the news of undiscovered lands. Upon meeting Captain Christopher Newport, his suspicions became true as he discovered just how serious this all was. Three grand ships were already waiting to set sail across the Atlantic. All they needed was a few additional men onboard with enough experience to help aid in the creation of the first settlements.

It was his golden opportunity of a lifetime that could lead him towards a path of his greatest adventures yet. There was no doubt in his mind, he had to be there. Similar to his excitement when joining the first Viking raiders into Greenland, he had nothing but high hopes for this experience.

He and twenty other colonists would be able to set sail for new lands. Finally, in late 1606, it was time. Aboard the Discovery, he made the voyage to the New World. Two other ships followed, Susan Constant and Godspeed. The journey aboard the ship was tiring, it was easy to become seasick fairly quickly.

Four months of constant sailing was all it took to reach the end. It was tedious and required several stops along the way in Spain and Puerto Rico. But through sheer will and determination, they reached the mainlands of the New World. On April 26th, 1607, they finally arrived. Sailing through an outlet to the Chesapeake Bay, their initial discovery was a marshal and swampy island surrounded by thick forests.

While mosquitoes plagued this land and brackish river water was unsuitable for drinking, the location still served as a perfect defensible strategic point. The river curved around them, providing comfortable areas for docks to be constructed, proving to be perfectly navigable for ships.

At first glance, the world looked far different than what they had all expected. Something about the land seemed a bit darker than what they were used to seeing in Europe. Whether or not that was a positive or negative aspect of the place still remained to be  seen. But it was clear they had arrived in a location unlike any other on Earth.

Chopping down trees and clearing the land was the only way they could begin their new settlement. Quickly, they started work by constructing cabins and tents. Their goal was to erect a fort in these lands, one suited for their colony to strive in.

However, they quickly learned they weren't alone in this new world. What was supposedly undiscovered land turned out to be an area that belonged to the natives who lived there. They wore very minimal amounts of clothing, some had feathers strapped to their heads as well as tribal markings over them. The English were baffled and in shock, but only one of them was familiar with these sorts of people.

Michael Smith, fitted with his countless years of knowledge on cultures and civilizations. These natives were of the Powhatan tribe, and surprisingly, they came in peace. The settlers were certain that their presence could start a conflict, but the 'Indians' were able to offer help and support.

Despite their hospitality, the English colonists aimed their weapons and opened fire immediately. They were warning shots, as nobody was killed. But given their past conflicts with the Spanish people, they weren't willing to take any risks.

Although shots were fired, the Powhatans and the settlers were able to form peace. The Indians were able to lend food and water to the colonists and guide them through this New World.

It was a generous act that the settlers would eventually repay, but not in the way the natives would have imagined.

If it were not for the aid provided by the Powhatan Indians, the English settlement would have failed. Diseases spread throughout them, food had become scarce. Several men had begun to perish and the natives saved them with their trades and offerings. Their generosity however was soon taken advantage of as the English asked for more food than the Indians could provide.

Eventually, the new English settlement was complete. It was named Jamestown, although it seemed more of a fort in their eyes than an actual town or settlement. Their triangle-shaped fort was surrounded by walls that were fitted with spikes and defenses, the fortifications were ready to withstand anything that may come their way. They only erected these defenses as their relationship with the natives had plummeted, and fears of war were amongst everyone.

For years they remained, in due time running out of food once more and getting struck by diseases. Ninety percent of their population had died from these complications. Michael could remember when they had no more food left and they resorted to eating leather off their boots. However, if that wasn't bad enough, he remembers one night when he was forced to eat the decomposing flesh of the settlement's fallen men. It's a memory he wishes to permanently forget.

With the food crisis still at large, tensions also rose between the English and the Powhatan Indians. One of the settlement's council members, John Smith, had broken the peace between them and ordered raiding parties to burn down their camps. A war had broken out, and all chances for Michael to start a new life had disappeared. Wherever he went, war followed. But this wasn't a war he wanted to fight in, for he knew his colony was at fault.

Even German and Polish craftsmen that arrived at the settlement became involved in an argument with the colonists. The Germans planned on joining a Spanish attack on Jamestown. Several of them defected to the Powhatans, joining their tribe to fight against the now called English invaders.

John Smith was captured by the Powhatans when he became involved in an attack with some of the natives, even using one of them as a human shield. Suffering from a leg wound and some arrows penetrating his clothing, he managed to survive and get taken as a prisoner. But much to his surprise, he wasn't executed.

While an execution was planned, it was later discarded and he was kept well fed and treated as a guest for three days. It was all thanks to one of the tribal members that convinced the rest of the natives not to kill him. Pocahontas. This was the second time she had single handedly saved his life when she warned him of an attempt on his life before his capture. When John was finally released, they had hoped their war could end.

Alas, John was soon made the President of the colony. Against Michael's statements, he ordered further attempts to push the natives away from their settlement. "He that will not work, shall not eat." In John's words, he was determined to see Jamestown flourish through any means necessary.

Finally, in 1609, Michael Smith had enough of John. Out on a canoe in the river, John Smith carried gunpowder with him as he tried to transport it. Michael watched in secrecy from the shore, away from prying eyes. In his hands were a bow and flaming arrow, ready to be fired.

Nobody had seen the arrow land in John's canoe. What resulted was a fiery explosion that capsized the canoe. However, to everyone's surprise, John had survived but was left heavily scarred and injured. Later, John Smith was taken back to England permanently to recover from his wounds. His incident was ruled an accident.

A year after John's 'accident', shipwrecked survivors from Bermuda arrived in Jamestown with supplies. A new strain of tobacco was introduced to the settlement by John Rolfe, one of the shipwrecked survivors. Soon, food didn't become too much of an issue as their fort continued to stand.

Meanwhile, the war had started to ease down. Peace was finally able to be kept soon after when Pocahontas herself was captured but decided to marry John Rolfe. The marriage between a native and an Englishman proved that both sides could coexist peacefully.

After these conflicts had finally ended, the settlement could focus on their other issues at hand. Several colonists had given up hope on survival and proposed abandoning the settlement. But there was one natural effect on their side, the power of luck. While they had certainly suffered from famine and illnesses, they still remained strong just long enough for a pleasant surprise.

Jamestown grew, more settlers arrived, the population increased and resources became plenty. Several years passed and the community flourished. In 1620, the arrival of the Mayflower started a new colonization named Plymouth Colony. Everything here felt truly peaceful and lively, but Michael wasn't ready to start another family just yet; rather he enjoyed his time spent with friends he had made and hunting like he used to do before.

There was not a care in the world, his past life was behind him. For the past couple of years, he's had no trouble. He was able to build his own cottage near the heart of their settlement, it wasn't much compared to the other buildings but it still felt like home in his heart.

Women had begun to arrive in the settlement just a year prior to the Mayflower's journey. The population grew and more couples became wedded. Michael continued to stay out of it, although he did have his eyes on a young English woman named Jane Dickenson. But despite her beautiful appearance, he took no part in any romance. Luckily for him, Jane turned out to already be married so he never even attempted to introduce himself.

A festival was held a year after the Mayflower's arrival in Plymouth Rock. Even natives of the Wampanoag tribe joined in with the colonists and celebrated peacefully. Turkey, squash, corn, pumpkins and a whole assortment of foods indigenous to the native tribes of the Americas were offered.

Finally, in the spring of 1622, all the settlements in the new world had flourished. Jamestown wasn't the only settlement, as other communities formed around the area such as Henricus and Falling Creek Ironworks. But Jamestown was the center of attention, it was the largest in the area, and it was ready for anything that might happen. Finally, it seemed that the English could strive in this world and may potentially grow as large as London perhaps.

More wood was needed for a new building in the settlement, and while many of the settlers stayed within their area, Michael walked deeper into the surrounding forests. He wasn't afraid of what might happen, instead he was friendly with the natives that lived here. A connection was formed between him and the tribe, although his heart still belonged to the English.

Despite his feelings, the Powhatans schemed regardless. After the natural death of their leader, a new chief was named, and he was excited for war. His name was Opechancanough and he didn't believe peace could be maintained with the settlers. All the harm, deaths and destruction that was bestowed upon them in the past could not be forgotten or forgiven.

While many had believed the Anglo-Powhatan war had ended, it secretly wasn't the case. The damage had already been done and the natives were ready to launch their ultimate payback.

It was time for a massacre.

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Historical Notes:

Before the colonists arrived in Jamestown, John Smith was charged with mutiny. Christopher Newport planned to have him executed, but he was spared by orders from the King of England. For the remainder of the voyage however, John Smith was held under arrest until their arrival when he was set free.

There was an estimated maximum of around 21,000 Powhatans alive when the colonists arrived. Only two weeks after the colonists initially arrived in Jamestown, they claimed their first Powhatan life. Today, only around three thousand Powhatans remain.

Despite popular belief, Pocahontas never married or had any interest in John Smith. This has been inaccurately portrayed in a wide variety of media. It was John Rolfe instead.

A standard Powhatan village

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