Capitán Esteban Tomé del Cuervos

Capitán Esteban Tomé del Cuervos, also known as San Prospero (Spanish: lit. ‘Saint Prosperity’) was a Spanish explorer, conquistador and ship captain mostly known for his hidden treasure, being the supposed forger of Los Padres del Fuego and the original founder of Retiro del Cuervos. He disappeared under mysterious circumstances, leaving only Los Padres, the map to his treasure, and his legend behind.

Early life
Very little is known about Esteban. Records show he was born in the Spanish Empire, and his father was Portuguese. Despite his father (named Tomé) being very anti-church, Esteban became a faux saint at some point in his life. Further information shows that del Cuervos (Spanish: ‘of the crows’) isn’t his surname by birth, but rather a likely choice to maintain reputation or become disassociated with his father. However, the latter theory is often disproved because Esteban kept his father’s name as part of his own.

Later years
At some point, Esteban killed his father and took to the moniker Esteban Tomé del Cuervos. He became a conquistador and was sent to help colonise the New World for the Spanish Empire some time in the mid- to late-17th century. During this time, he was able to pillage and kill countless villages. Esteban eventually hid his treasure, created a map, and founded a settlement on the newly-discovered Retiro del Cuervos.

Disappearance and supposed death
After a period of twenty years (though the dates are unknown), Esteban himself completely disappeared. He left behind only the swords he supposedly forged, and the flat wooden blocks on which he painted the map to his treasure. He also left a note for his first mate (whose name is unknown, but did exist) ordering him to keep one piece and hide the rest, and upon the first mate’s death, the piece would be buried with him or burnt to ash. The remains of Esteban were never found, and in 1701 an expedition by the British was started to find the Spaniard, but to no avail.

Legacy
The existence of Esteban Tomé del Cuervos is one shrouded completely in mystery, and his treasure has been sought after by countless people. One piece of the map was discovered by Baltic German captain Karl Wolfsbane several months before his death some time in the early 18th century, and another by William Vincent’s father.