Michael Smyth

## Information

**Michael** **Smyth** is a footpad hailing from Ireland who had made his life living off of thievery along with his former significant other Clenna Dolan and her brother Tom Dolan. He would eventually find himself to the New World due to a botched heist and would find himself embroiled in operations that involved the notorious Declan Harp, an outlaw and fur trader, who was wanted for his wanton operations against the Hudson Bay Company (HBC). Over time, Michael would become a member of Harp's posse, the Black Wolf Company or "black wolves", and would be involved in operations that would help bring the group to prominence that would outmatch the HBC's capabilities.

### Season 1

In order to survive the harsh life in the streets of London, Michael did what he could by ganging up with his friends Clenna and Tom Dolan and robbing lowly merchants that would barely sustain the three. But after one robbery attempt botched by a mistake on Tom's part, Michael would be fed up with having to live on meager pickings and would target a bigger prize: a keg of gunpowder on an HBC flagged ship. However, the heist turned out to have disasterous consequences; the gang would be caught stealing, in which would result Clenna being arrested and Tom being killed in the ensuing fight, while Michael would flee and hide aboard the ship only to be come an accidental stowaway to North America.

Aboard the ship, while attempting to plan his escape, Michael overhears a conversation between the ship's Cook and his assistant in which the Cook revealed that he had stolen a gold piece belonging to Lord Archibald Benton, who was on his way to investigate and pacify activities attributed to Declan Harp at Hudson Bay. However, Michael would be caught but only to for his apprehension to be interrupted by a furious Lord Benton. It was here that Michael would win Benton's favor by admitting the Cook was responsible for the theft and would be allowed to stay on the ship for his honesty. Michael soon would be given a chance to work for Benton, which he was asked to serve as a spy for him by implanting him into Harp's posse as a interested trader with the help of a guide employed by Jonathan Chesterfield. Michael would agree but in the condition that Clenna Dolan was to be released from prison in London and that the cook's assistant was absolved for any wrongdoing.

Upon arrival to Fort James, Michael would immediately run into trouble when a garrison soldier would be stabbed by a native denizen, to which the soldiers would immediately blame him for the murder. Michael would then be saved by the settlement's minister Father Coffin, who pretended to be his guide to Harp. But after a night of drinking and stealing Michael's silver, Michael and Coffin would find themselves in hot water after it was discovered by Chesterfield that Coffin was not the guide employed by him and Benton. Chesterfield would have the two arrested but only to be recaptured by Harp's men, who would bring the pair right to Harp himself. After Harp had intended to kill the two, Michael would save their lives by explaining that he had information on Lord Benton, interesting Harp and sparing his life by keeping him as his hostage while letting the priest go. The circumstances would then change when word had reached that the grandson of the Lake Walker tribe's Okimaw (chief), Kitchi, had been kidnapped by the Brown brothers, the owners of the *Low River Company*, who had intended to extort the tribe into a negotiation. However, Kitchi would then be kidnapped again by Chesterfield and was then imprisoned in Benton's estate in Fort James. To avoid a bloody confrontation between Harp and the HBC soldiers, Michael insisted he be let go to report to Benton but to also spy on Kitchi's whereabouts and to allow the group to sneak in without confrontation. The posse manages to free Kitchi but are discovered, resulting in a firefight that would kill the group's senior member Samoset. Michael would then be brought along to the Lake Walkers for the reunion, only to discover Kitchi was murdered in his sleep and to be then kidnapped by MacLaughlan, a former associate of the Brown brothers. Harp and his men would rescue Michael from Graham, but not without instructing both Michael and Sokanon to track Graham's confident and employer, revealed to be Chesterfield himself. Despite discovering the plot behind Kitchi's murder, Michael and Sokanon would arrive to late to report, as the Lake Walkers had forced Malcolm Brown and Harp off their territory after Machk had seized leadership by force. To make matters worse, Harp would then be left alone with Michael and Sokanon when his insubordinate Dimanche had deserted and took the group's men after Harp had decided to storm Fort James and kill Benton. To prepare for the plan, Michael would scout Lord Benton's residence with Sokanon but only to find out that Clenna had arrived to North America at Benton's residence. The two would reunite, but Clenna would realize how Michael was being selfish and reckless after siding with Harp.

After an evening of seeing Clenna, Michael would report back to Harp and Sokanon at Grace Emberly's alehouse, only to be followed back with HBC soldiers on his tail. The resulting battle that ensued would have Harp captured and Sokanon injured, only for Emberly to help Michael and Sokanon hide in the cellars of her storehouse. As the two planned what to do, Clenna would join the pair and would agree to help out the best she could. Once morning came, the three would attempt to leave Emberly's alehouse, only to be detected by HBC soldiers; Michael would attempt to fight the soldiers but only to be arrested himself and sent to the garrison's magazine where Harp was held captive and tortured by Benton. After tailing the two, Michael would be freed by Sokanon and Clenna and the group would then tend to a badly wounded Harp. After it was revealed that Harp would eventually return to Grace for help and would be based on Fort James, Michael, Clenna and Sokanon would return back to the garrison, but only to return too late when it was revealed that Harp's intent to murder Benton was foiled by a visiting Samuel Grant. Harp was to be executed and as Michael insisted that he must be saved, Clenna had refused to participate any further; Michael would exchange his farewells with Clenna and would begin the operation to rescue Harp with Sokanon, with Grace aiding in detonating the garrison's magazine. Harp would be saved and would flee during the chaos caused by Michael and Sokanon, who would then flee into the woods.

### Season 2

Months after Harp had vanished and escaped from Fort James and his hanging, Michael and Sokanon, now living in the wilderness, return to building back the Black Wolves after Dimanche's departure and him taking all the men with him. Only consisting of him, Sokanon and 2 other members, the group is no longer the fierce outlaws and bandits that Harp had started with but a group of thieves stealing pelts from HBC and other traders on the trail. Although Sokanon did not approve of Michael's tactics on taking on HBC, Michael insists that it was merely a temporary measure to help rebuild capital and men for the group. But despite relying on petty theft, Michael's schemes grow larger to the point that he and Sokanon would silently raid HBC encampments for larger payouts. The pair would not reunite with Harp until later on, when Harp would surprise Michael with two new associates, Charleston and McTaggart, during a period he and Sokanon were being intimate. Upon the reunion, Harp would discover the Black Wolves were nothing but thieves and would explain to Michael that the only way to hurt HBC was to target their stockpiles of pelts which Michael would begin planning the largest heist he would ever operate: stealing HBC pelts from Fort James with a underground tunnel and selling the pelts to one of the traders in Montreal.

As Harp would make his way to the city and would strike a deal with Elizabeth Carruthers of *Carruthers and Co.*and, after escaping imprisonment due to an (eventually rescinded) bounty on his head, Michael would meet with a Cree boatman named Wahush, who would be revealed to be Sokanon's ex-fiance, for the purpose of escaping by the waters. After a tense meeting with him, Wahush would agree to help the pair and the Black Wolves by ferrying all their pelts to a rendezvous point where Carruthers would send a representative with payment of the stolen furs. Once everything was ready, all the Black Wolves would return to Fort James and would carry out the operation. Although the plan went well in the beginning, Harp would again be separated to distract the garrison and Chesterfield, while Sokanon and Michael would arrive at the rendezvous to discover that it was not a buyer from Carruthers' company, but Cobbs Pond and his former lover Clenna Dolan, who offered to buy the pelts at a much lower price and at the threat of rescinding the offer and the incoming HBC trackers attempting to hunt down the pair. Although Sokanon had strongly opposed the idea, Michael agreed to sell the pelts for the sum offered. But during the meeting, Wahush would suddenly burst out of the bushes to escape the HBC soldiers, only for Clenna to accidentally shoot him in surprise. Inconsolable and furious with Wahush's death, Sokanon decided to split with Michael and take her men, while leaving Michael with his silver.

### Season 3

After Wahush's death and Sokanon leaving him on his own, Michael would rejoin Harp, McTaggart and Charleston in his operations against the HBC. However, only this time, the Black Wolves would stumble upon the HBC massacring a Métis village, to which the men intervene and killing a large number HBC soldiers while keeping few alive and giving them the ultimatum to join or die. Harp would announce he would pursue Emberly, after being kidnapped and taken hostage by Benton, and would leave Michael to manage the Black Wolves' operations in North America. Michael would again seek out Sokanon and explain his witnessing of the massacre of the Métis tribe. The pair, however, witnesses the HBC moving on to the Lake Walker village, who were trading with the Voyageurs and Jean-Marc Rivard, only to be held at gunpoint, threatened and have all their pelts confiscated. Michael and Sokanon would negotiate with Kamenna and Rivard, explaining that the best way to defeat HBC was the traders and the tribe unite and create a partnership that can smother out HBC. Kamenna is hesitant but agrees so long as Michael finds backers willing to participate, which he would then do so by traveling to Montreal.

Michael would initially turn to a heavily alcoholic Douglas Brown, who had "inherited" *Carruthers and Co.* after the death of Elizabeth Carruthers, but would be turned down after Douglas had angrily told Michael to never bother him again. Michael would then turn to Cobbs Pond and Clenna, who were representing Grant during his absence, and it was here he would strike a deal and capital to help with the partnership. Michael, however, would later be approached by Douglas' brother Malcolm, who would insist in telling Michael to come back for a negotiation after explaining that he was now in charge of the interests of *Carruthers and Co.* Michael would also agree to signing a deal with the Brown brother, but only to arouse suspicion from the Carruthers' aide Josephette DaCosta, who would have Malcolm shadow Michael to ensure that nothing was amiss. Now with Malcolm on his side, along with Rivard, the three men walk back to Kamenna but for an unhappy reunion between the Okimaw and the Brown brother. But before any progress could be made, HBC soldiers, led by a Major Vinnicombe, would appear and would attempt to arrest Michael. A fight ensues and the HBC soldiers and the Major would be killed by the trio, dismaying Kamenna and having her fear of retaliation from the HBC. As Michael and Rivard work quickly to hide the officer's body, HBC soldiers led by now commander and governor of Fort James Vanstone, would come investigate what had happened. Vinnicombe's body is discovered by Malcolm takes the blame and is arrested while Michael escapes the soldiers. Later rendezvousing with another independent trader Patrick O'Reilly, the pair sets off to rescue Malcolm from an HBC camp but only to be greeted by Cobbs, who became suspicious of Michael's actions in Montreal.

Returning to Fort James, Michael is admonished by Malcolm and Cobbs for betraying their trust. However, Michael insists that the two must work together to rise up and to save all the traders, themselves included, from the wrath of HBC. After Cobbs and Malcolm hesitate, the two agree and work side-by-side to help eliminate HBC influence from Hudson Bay. But as Cobbs and Malcolm work on a plan, Michael stumbles upon a subordinate of O'Reilly and realizes that he was carrying Sokanon's bow; at this point, Sokanon, unbeknownst to Michael, had been kidnapped after attempting to liberate the native women kidnapped and enslaved in Fort James, to which O'Reilly was responsible for. Michael realized something had happened and decided to investigate a church that could possibly keeping Sokanon captive. On his way there, he would meet Sokanon and Mary, where the two reveal that they escaped the church with some native women held captive after the two were taken from Fort James by O'Reilly himself. Although Michael insisted that he had no knowledge of the operation, Sokanon and Mary would nonetheless return to kill O'Reilly in revenge. The garrison commander Vanstone would later arrive and would discover Michael and Sokanon were present and would have O'Reilly's right hand man Mercer determine their fate, who would decide to have the pair burned to death. Before both can be killed, O'Reilly's widow Kahwihta would intervene and tell Mercer that Sokanon and Michael was not responsible for her husband's death but Vanstone was. Cobbs would also interject himself and claim the commander was involved, to which Mercer would believe and have Vanstone burned to death in place of Michael and Sokanon. After Vanstone's death, Michael, Rivard, Cobbs and Malcolm would toast to a new future and would celebrate their victory over HBC at Fort James.