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Description
In 1165, a strange letter appeared in the court of Manuel Comnenus, Emperor of the Byzantines. The letter's author claimed to be Presbyter Johannes, decedent of the Three Magi and Christian king of a bizarre mystical kingdom far in the Orient: The Three Indias. The letter described tribes of cannibals, magical crystals, palaces of ivory and amethyst, a sea of sand populated by strange fish, and countless other amazing things. The letter contained no demands, no pleas for help, no threats, nothing that could ever profit the letter's true author. Europeans would spend the next seven centuries searching for this Presbyter Johannes and his kingdom, but he was never found. Linguistic analysis suggests that the letter's true author was Italian, but nothing else is known. Perhaps whoever it was simply sought to excite Europe's spirit of the unknown.

This map, based on that letter and other accounts and legends from the era, represents some of the perceptions of the outside that would hold on in Europe until Columbus's voyage and the Colonial Age.

1. Alexandros's Wall of Copper and Iron- Nearly two millennia ago, the great Alexandros of Macedon built a wall of iron bricks lathered in molten copper to hold back the barbarians of the north, now it is held by the Amazons and Gargareans.
2. Amazons and Gargareans- A tribe of all women, and a tribe of all men. The Amazons force the Gargareans to compete in ferocious bloodsports and battles until only a handful of them remain. These few gain the right to be the fathers of the next generation. both these tribes are vassals of the Indians
3. Antillia- When the Mussulemans overran Hispania, seven bishops of the Visigoths fled with their flocks across the Oceanus Occidentalis and found Antillia, where the seven bishops founded seven cities of gold.
4. Arabia Felix- The impenetrable desert home of the Mussulmans.
5. Asia- Once ruled by the Hittites of old, then by the Lydians, then the Persians, and now it is the battle ground of the Christian Greeks and the Mussulman Turks.
6. Aurea- An island of gold which gave tribute Solomon and Sheba of old.
7. Aurea Chersonese- The Golden Peninsula which hems in the Indicum Pelagus.
8. Azores- No human foot had ever set upon these isles until ships from Hispania came.
9. Babylon- Babylon now lies in ruins. It's tower now stands as a warning to all those who would show pride in the face of God the Almighty.
10. Barbaricus Sinus- Ethiopia may be an India with a Christian king, but beware penetrating too deep into the Dark Continent.
11. Britannia- Once a land of barbarians not even the Romani could tame, but now a strong and Christian kingdom.
12. Cathay- A silk bearing land ruled by a tribe of pagan barbarian from the great grasslands of the interior of the Orient.
13. Centaurs, Cyclops, One Footed Men, and More- Many savage half-man creature have sworn fealty to King of the Three Indias, but beware them still!
14. Cipangu- A great island in the Oceanus Orientalis, known to some as Japan. Marco Polo reports that it is fifteen hundred miles off the coast of Mangi, and twice the size of Hispania.
15. Constantinople- The capital which bears the name of the great Christianizer of the west, and now the seat of his ever waning prodigy, the empire of the Greeks.
16. Eden- The King of Three Indias may boast of having paradise's garden within his realm, but he dare not let it be approached for fear of God's wrath.
17. Ethiopia- The kingdom of one of the Magi who visited Christ at Bethlehem, and the second India brought into God's Chosen Kingdom.
18. Fountain of Youth- In the far western extreme of the King of the Three Indias' domain, there lies a pool guarded by two wise men. Drink from this fountain and you shall always be thirty years of age.
19. Francia- The land taken from Rome by the Franks.
20. Gangicus Sinus- Here marks the Eastern boundary of the Three Indias.
21. Germania- The Romani would have been shocked to see the savage barbarians of the frontier become civilized Christians.
22. Gog and Magog- These tribes, the Gog and Magog, and their vassal tribes, the Anie, Agit, Azenach, Fommeperi, Befari, Conei-Samante, Agrimandri, Vintefolei, Casbei, and Alanei, are cannibalistic savages predicted to surge across the entire world with great slaughter as the End of Days approaches. For now, the King of the Three Indias employs them as mercenaries, though they do not swear fealty to him, and he supports the Amazons and Gargareans in their endless war against them.
23. Graecia- The land of Athens, Sparta, and the heroes from the deeps of time.
24. Hamilcarqart- The city of Hamilcar, home to the last of the Qart-Hadistim, who the Romani called Carthaginians. They retain their pagan ways, and refuse to pay tribute to the King of the Three Indias.
25. Hibernia- The land of Celtic barbarians.
26. Hispania- Once the domain of Mussulmans, now the Christian kings of Castile, Aragon, Leon, Navarre, and Portugal are dominant.
27. Hy-Brasil- A mist-bound isle off the western coast of Hibernia which may only be seen on the seventh day of every seventh year.
28. Indicum Pelagus- The great sea bound by Ethiopia and the Aurea Chersonese.
29. Insulae Canariae- Here be a strange tribe of pagans named the Guanches.
30. Intraganges- The home to the Dynasty of the First Magi, which conquered the domains of the other two and established God's Chosen Kingdom, the Three Indias. The empire that has grown out from here is vast and diffuse, consisting of seventy-two protectorates, most of which do not even follow the One True Faith, and of these many are not even human. Often the king is totally occupied with keeping his own troublesome thanes in line.
31. Isle of Mam- A rocky bay lost in the vastness of the Oceanus Occidentalis.
32. Isle of Man- An isle inhabited by Celts and Vikings.
33. Italia- Once the homeland of the Romani, now home only to squabbling little states.
34. Java Major- The largest Island in the world, and an exporter of many rich goods.
35. Java Minor- The most distant land in the world, and one of the least well known.
35. Jerusalem- Sacred city of the Jews, Christians, and Mussulmans.
37. Land of Pepper and Serpents- Every year the inhabitants of this land burn out the thick forests of their land, killing countless millions of serpents. They then gather up the burnt peppercorns and sell them to the far corners of the world.
38. Libya- The realm of endless desert, ruled by the Mussulmans.
39. Magnus Sinus- The Great Bay, where the great pagan civilizations of the far Orient trade and war without ceasing.
40. Mangi- One of the great lands of silk, home to magnificent cities and manufactures envied by all the world.
41. Mare Arenosum- The great sea of sand, impossible to cross by any means. The subjects of the King of the Three Indias who dwell on its eastern seaboard harvest from it many delicious species of fish.
42. Mare Nostrum- Once a Romani lake, now the prize of a thousand Christian and Mussulman Kingdoms.
43. Mauritania- A Mussulman Kingdom from the western extreme of Libya.
44. Mecca- The great holy city of the Mussulmans.
45. Oceanus Orientalis- Only a nominal distinction from the Oceanus Occidentalis, there are even whispers in Europa of trying to sail from Hispania, to Antillia, to Cipangu, to Mangi, to obtain rich trade.
46. Olympum Montem- Mount Olympus, reached by Alexandros in the time of old.
47. Ophir- An island of gold which gave tribute Solomon and Sheba of old.
48. Palace of David of India- Palace of the son of Presbyter Johannes, the conqueror of Toprobana.
49. Palace of Presbyter Johannes- Palace of the son of Quasideus, the conqueror of Ethiopia. It is larger than that of his father, with pillars of solid amethyst and ivory.
50. Palace of Quasideus- Quasideus (literally, "god like") conquered vast swaths of Intraganges. His palace is lit by carbuncle crystals set upon pillars of pure gold, and no man may die in it so long as he remains there.
51. Persia- Land of the decedents of Xerxes, now Mussulmans.
52. Persicus Sinus- A sea marking the border of the Mussulmans and the Indias.
53. Poisonless Land- a land on the island of Toprobana free from all plants, animals, and minerals with poisonous properties.
54. River Euphrates- The ancient lifeblood of civilizations.
55. River Gemmis- The great river which spans the length of Ethiopia. Jewels are commonly found on its banks.
56. River Indeus- Its ancient name is lost to history, but when the Magi crossed it and proclaimed the Word of God, they renamed it "Indeus," "in God." This became the source of the word "India," "Land in God."
57. River Lapidum- This is not a river of water, but a river of stones, which tumble down from the mountains, but only for three days of every week.
58. River Nile- The home and lifeblood of Aegyptus of old.
59. River Tigris- The ancient lifeblood of civilizations.
60. River Yconia- A river of exceedingly pure water running out of paradise. In it are found stones called nudiosi, which improve the sight of whoever wears the them.
61. Roillo- a small island off the coast of Antillia rich in gold.
62. Roma- Seat of the Holy Father of the Christians of the west, but his authority is not recognized by the King of the Three Indias.
63. Rupes Nigra- This island, the most northern extreme of the world, is made entirely of black magnicite, and thus all the iron in the world strains to come closer to it, allowing man to navigate with compasses.
64. Samarkand- a great trade city at the northeastern extreme of the realm of the King of the Three Indias.
65. Samia- The Samiards are enemies of the King of the Three Indias, and have been known to aid the Mussulman Persians.
66. Scandia- The northern land of mountains and snow.
67. Serica- A silk bearing land known to the Romani. Their camels crossed vast tracks of land to bring silk to distant Europa.
68. Sheba- Once a great kingdom that spread its tendrils out to the far corners of the sea. But long ago their great dam broke, and their greatest city, Ubar, was swallowed up by the earth.
69. Sinae- A silk bearing land known to the Romani. Their ships crossed vast and dangerous seas to bring silk to distant Europa
70. Sinus Arabicus- The sea which swallowed of the army of the Pharaoh of Aegyptus as the Israelites fled.
71. Sogdiani- A land of herdsmen and warriors sworn to support the King of the Three Indias
72. St. Brendon's Isle- A beautiful and fertile island discovered by St. Brendon, who Christianized its inhabitants.
73. Susa- Once a city of Xerxes and the Achaemenids of old, now a Christian city of the King of the Three Indias and seat of the Protopope.
74. Sythia- A land of endless grass ruled by the ancient Sythians, whose horses thunder across the plains and who tailor jackets from the skin of their enemies.
75. Terra Australis- The wise men of ancient Graesia believed that there must by a great continent in the south to balance the amount of land in the north. Without actually discovering this continent, they named it Terra Australis.
76. Thule- An island far to the northwest of Europa, said to be inhabited by Celts like those of Caesar's day.
77. Toprobana- A great island in the Indicum Pelagus, known to a few and Ceylon.
78. Underground River of Jewels- This underground river has rich jewels strewn across the bottom like gravel, but passages open and close without warning due to the many earthquakes of the region. To better collect the jewels, the people of this country have learned to hold their breath for many days at a time.

Description
In 1165, a strange letter appeared in the court of Manuel Comnenus, Emperor of the Byzantines. The letter's author claimed to be Presbyter Johannes, decedent of the Three Magi and Christian king of a bizarre mystical kingdom far in the Orient: The Three Indias. The letter described tribes of cannibals, magical crystals, palaces of ivory and amethyst, a sea of sand populated by strange fish, and countless other amazing things. The letter contained no demands, no pleas for help, no threats, nothing that could ever profit the letter's true author. Europeans would spend the next seven centuries searching for this Presbyter Johannes and his kingdom, but he was never found. Linguistic analysis suggests that the letter's true author was Italian, but nothing else is known. Perhaps whoever it was simply sought to excite Europe's spirit of the unknown.

This map, based on that letter and other accounts and legends from the era, represents some of the perceptions of the outside that would hold on in Europe until Columbus's voyage and the Colonial Age.

1. Alexandros's Wall of Copper and Iron- Nearly two millennia ago, the great Alexandros of Macedon built a wall of iron bricks lathered in molten copper to hold back the barbarians of the north, now it is held by the Amazons and Gargareans.
2. Amazons and Gargareans- A tribe of all women, and a tribe of all men. The Amazons force the Gargareans to compete in ferocious bloodsports and battles until only a handful of them remain. These few gain the right to be the fathers of the next generation. both these tribes are vassals of the Indians
3. Antillia- When the Mussulemans overran Hispania, seven bishops of the Visigoths fled with their flocks across the Oceanus Occidentalis and found Antillia, where the seven bishops founded seven cities of gold.
4. Arabia Felix- The impenetrable desert home of the Mussulmans.
5. Asia- Once ruled by the Hittites of old, then by the Lydians, then the Persians, and now it is the battle ground of the Christian Greeks and the Mussulman Turks.
6. Aurea- An island of gold which gave tribute Solomon and Sheba of old.
7. Aurea Chersonese- The Golden Peninsula which hems in the Indicum Pelagus.
8. Azores- No human foot had ever set upon these isles until ships from Hispania came.
9. Babylon- Babylon now lies in ruins. It's tower now stands as a warning to all those who would show pride in the face of God the Almighty.
10. Barbaricus Sinus- Ethiopia may be an India with a Christian king, but beware penetrating too deep into the Dark Continent.
11. Britannia- Once a land of barbarians not even the Romani could tame, but now a strong and Christian kingdom.
12. Cathay- A silk bearing land ruled by a tribe of pagan barbarian from the great grasslands of the interior of the Orient.
13. Centaurs, Cyclops, One Footed Men, and More- Many savage half-man creature have sworn fealty to King of the Three Indias, but beware them still!
14. Cipangu- A great island in the Oceanus Orientalis, known to some as Japan. Marco Polo reports that it is fifteen hundred miles off the coast of Mangi, and twice the size of Hispania.
15. Constantinople- The capital which bears the name of the great Christianizer of the west, and now the seat of his ever waning prodigy, the empire of the Greeks.
16. Eden- The King of Three Indias may boast of having paradise's garden within his realm, but he dare not let it be approached for fear of God's wrath.
17. Ethiopia- The kingdom of one of the Magi who visited Christ at Bethlehem, and the second India brought into God's Chosen Kingdom.
18. Fountain of Youth- In the far western extreme of the King of the Three Indias' domain, there lies a pool guarded by two wise men. Drink from this fountain and you shall always be thirty years of age.
19. Francia- The land taken from Rome by the Franks.
20. Gangicus Sinus- Here marks the Eastern boundary of the Three Indias.
21. Germania- The Romani would have been shocked to see the savage barbarians of the frontier become civilized Christians.
22. Gog and Magog- These tribes, the Gog and Magog, and their vassal tribes, the Anie, Agit, Azenach, Fommeperi, Befari, Conei-Samante, Agrimandri, Vintefolei, Casbei, and Alanei, are cannibalistic savages predicted to surge across the entire world with great slaughter as the End of Days approaches. For now, the King of the Three Indias employs them as mercenaries, though they do not swear fealty to him, and he supports the Amazons and Gargareans in their endless war against them.
23. Graecia- The land of Athens, Sparta, and the heroes from the deeps of time.
24. Hamilcarqart- The city of Hamilcar, home to the last of the Qart-Hadistim, who the Romani called Carthaginians. They retain their pagan ways, and refuse to pay tribute to the King of the Three Indias.
25. Hibernia- The land of Celtic barbarians.
26. Hispania- Once the domain of Mussulmans, now the Christian kings of Castile, Aragon, Leon, Navarre, and Portugal are dominant.
27. Hy-Brasil- A mist-bound isle off the western coast of Hibernia which may only be seen on the seventh day of every seventh year.
28. Indicum Pelagus- The great sea bound by Ethiopia and the Aurea Chersonese.
29. Insulae Canariae- Here be a strange tribe of pagans named the Guanches.
30. Intraganges- The home to the Dynasty of the First Magi, which conquered the domains of the other two and established God's Chosen Kingdom, the Three Indias. The empire that has grown out from here is vast and diffuse, consisting of seventy-two protectorates, most of which do not even follow the One True Faith, and of these many are not even human. Often the king is totally occupied with keeping his own troublesome thanes in line.
31. Isle of Mam- A rocky bay lost in the vastness of the Oceanus Occidentalis.
32. Isle of Man- An isle inhabited by Celts and Vikings.
33. Italia- Once the homeland of the Romani, now home only to squabbling little states.
34. Java Major- The largest Island in the world, and an exporter of many rich goods.
35. Java Minor- The most distant land in the world, and one of the least well known.
35. Jerusalem- Sacred city of the Jews, Christians, and Mussulmans.
37. Land of Pepper and Serpents- Every year the inhabitants of this land burn out the thick forests of their land, killing countless millions of serpents. They then gather up the burnt peppercorns and sell them to the far corners of the world.
38. Libya- The realm of endless desert, ruled by the Mussulmans.
39. Magnus Sinus- The Great Bay, where the great pagan civilizations of the far Orient trade and war without ceasing.
40. Mangi- One of the great lands of silk, home to magnificent cities and manufactures envied by all the world.
41. Mare Arenosum- The great sea of sand, impossible to cross by any means. The subjects of the King of the Three Indias who dwell on its eastern seaboard harvest from it many delicious species of fish.
42. Mare Nostrum- Once a Romani lake, now the prize of a thousand Christian and Mussulman Kingdoms.
43. Mauritania- A Mussulman Kingdom from the western extreme of Libya.
44. Mecca- The great holy city of the Mussulmans.
45. Oceanus Orientalis- Only a nominal distinction from the Oceanus Occidentalis, there are even whispers in Europa of trying to sail from Hispania, to Antillia, to Cipangu, to Mangi, to obtain rich trade.
46. Olympum Montem- Mount Olympus, reached by Alexandros in the time of old.
47. Ophir- An island of gold which gave tribute Solomon and Sheba of old.
48. Palace of David of India- Palace of the son of Presbyter Johannes, the conqueror of Toprobana.
49. Palace of Presbyter Johannes- Palace of the son of Quasideus, the conqueror of Ethiopia. It is larger than that of his father, with pillars of solid amethyst and ivory.
50. Palace of Quasideus- Quasideus (literally, "god like") conquered vast swaths of Intraganges. His palace is lit by carbuncle crystals set upon pillars of pure gold, and no man may die in it so long as he remains there.
51. Persia- Land of the decedents of Xerxes, now Mussulmans.
52. Persicus Sinus- A sea marking the border of the Mussulmans and the Indias.
53. Poisonless Land- a land on the island of Toprobana free from all plants, animals, and minerals with poisonous properties.
54. River Euphrates- The ancient lifeblood of civilizations.
55. River Gemmis- The great river which spans the length of Ethiopia. Jewels are commonly found on its banks.
56. River Indeus- Its ancient name is lost to history, but when the Magi crossed it and proclaimed the Word of God, they renamed it "Indeus," "in God." This became the source of the word "India," "Land in God."
57. River Lapidum- This is not a river of water, but a river of stones, which tumble down from the mountains, but only for three days of every week.
58. River Nile- The home and lifeblood of Aegyptus of old.
59. River Tigris- The ancient lifeblood of civilizations.
60. River Yconia- A river of exceedingly pure water running out of paradise. In it are found stones called nudiosi, which improve the sight of whoever wears the them.
61. Roillo- a small island off the coast of Antillia rich in gold.
62. Roma- Seat of the Holy Father of the Christians of the west, but his authority is not recognized by the King of the Three Indias.
63. Rupes Nigra- This island, the most northern extreme of the world, is made entirely of black magnicite, and thus all the iron in the world strains to come closer to it, allowing man to navigate with compasses.
64. Samarkand- a great trade city at the northeastern extreme of the realm of the King of the Three Indias.
65. Samia- The Samiards are enemies of the King of the Three Indias, and have been known to aid the Mussulman Persians.
66. Scandia- The northern land of mountains and snow.
67. Serica- A silk bearing land known to the Romani. Their camels crossed vast tracks of land to bring silk to distant Europa.
68. Sheba- Once a great kingdom that spread its tendrils out to the far corners of the sea. But long ago their great dam broke, and their greatest city, Ubar, was swallowed up by the earth.
69. Sinae- A silk bearing land known to the Romani. Their ships crossed vast and dangerous seas to bring silk to distant Europa
70. Sinus Arabicus- The sea which swallowed of the army of the Pharaoh of Aegyptus as the Israelites fled.
71. Sogdiani- A land of herdsmen and warriors sworn to support the King of the Three Indias
72. St. Brendon's Isle- A beautiful and fertile island discovered by St. Brendon, who Christianized its inhabitants.
73. Susa- Once a city of Xerxes and the Achaemenids of old, now a Christian city of the King of the Three Indias and seat of the Protopope.
74. Sythia- A land of endless grass ruled by the ancient Sythians, whose horses thunder across the plains and who tailor jackets from the skin of their enemies.
75. Terra Australis- The wise men of ancient Graesia believed that there must by a great continent in the south to balance the amount of land in the north. Without actually discovering this continent, they named it Terra Australis.
76. Thule- An island far to the northwest of Europa, said to be inhabited by Celts like those of Caesar's day.
77. Toprobana- A great island in the Indicum Pelagus, known to a few and Ceylon.
78. Underground River of Jewels- This underground river has rich jewels strewn across the bottom like gravel, but passages open and close without warning due to the many earthquakes of the region. To better collect the jewels, the people of this country have learned to hold their breath for many days at a time.