 The Salimor islands comprise a monarchy mingling elements of Japan and the Philippines - the ruling Sophi having very imperfect control over outlying islands, some of them inhabited by head-hunters or pirates.Beyond the islands is an eastern continent which contains the great empire of Kuromon, based on China and Japan, and another nomad-inhabited steppe belt.West of the western continents across the Western Ocean is the country of the cannibal Paaluan sea raiders, whose appearance resembles that of Australian Aborigines.