Founding of Altierra

Francis Drake's expedition

In 1577, Francis Drake left Plymouth with five ships on an expedition to enter the Pacific via Cape Horn and attack Spanish ships. On 20 August, 1578, the remaining three ships – the Pelican (later Golden Hinde), Elizabeth and Marigold – entered the Strait of Magellan. From the 6 September onwards, the fleet enter the Pacific but are caught in a tremendous storm where the Marigold was believed lost.

In reality, the Marigold retreated into the Straits for protection. Heavily damaged, she limped as far as Wood Island before grounding on the northern shore. Under the commander, Luke Thomas, the crew retrieved as much as possible from the wreck and established a settlement named Marigold, with the help of some local natives.

The settlement barely survived the later months of the year. During this time, the natives told of a cave called the Demon’s Mouth in which people would enter, never to return. In the first few months of 1579, as things grew worse, Thomas visited this cave and a volunteer entered. He returned, telling of another land with a warmer climate and abundant food. Thomas decided to take his settlers and some of the natives inside.

The English settlement

The settlers had emerged in what is now Alta but they called “Albion”. They found a few natives living here, presumably descendants of the Patagonians who had passed through the portal in earlier times. These natives were used as slaves or breeding women and assimilated into the population.

The English established a town which they named “New Plymouth”. After an initial difficult period, the colony flourished, reaching a hundred people in the year 24. In 47, some sailors discovered the island of Veridia which they named “Greenland”. In the year 100, the population decided to migrate to Greenland as it was more hospitable than Albion, leaving a few hundred behind who did not wish to leave.

By the time the Spanish arrived in 177, the population of the English was about 14,000, mostly living on on Greenland. Isla Arbojan had been discovered but not settled.

The Spanish invasion

After Drake’s circumnavigation, the Spanish decided to colonise the south of America, to control the passage between the Atlantic and Pacific. In December of 1581, the explorer Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa set sail from Cádiz with 350 settlers and 400 soldiers. They founded the first settlement in the Strait of Magellan, "Nombre de Jesús", on 11 February 1584. A week later, a large group fled with the best ships and supplies. On 25 March, some of the remaining people created a new settlement "Ciudad del Rey Don Filipe", closer to where the Marigold had foundered.

After five months, the settlers from Nombre de Jesús abandoned it and relocated to Ciudad del Rey Don Filipe but the population struggled to survive. The leader at this time was Andrés de Biedma.

In 1585, while exploring, the area west of the town, they encountered some natives who told them of the Demon’s Mouth. Biedma sent some soldiers inside and they returned with news of a more hospitable land. Biedma and a small party explored and found a small settlement of English people. He returned to Patagonia, assembled his settlers and they all moved through the portal.

They attacked and killed all of the English in the nearby village. Over the next three years, the Spanish conquered Albion, which they renamed “Nueva Castilla”, the English inhabitants being taken as slaves. In the year 3, Andrés de Biedma was killed and his charismatic intelligent wife Aldonza de Bracamonte took over leadership. In the year 5, after the island had been subdued, Bracamonte created the religion of Divara with herself as the cult leader and first Arch-Priestess.

In the year 8, there was an earthquake in Patagonia which caused the Demon’s Mouth to collapse, trapping the Spanish and English forever in the new world.

It was in 29 that the Spanish decided to invade Greenland, which was renamed “Veridia”. The peaceful and scattered English, although much greater in number, were no match for the disciplined and trained Spanish. Within two years, they were in complete control of the land which they named “Altierra”.