Undiscovered Ocean

When, in 1271, Marco Polo set off with his father to travel to Cathay, the age of the great explorers had begun. In the ensuing three centuries much of the world was explored for the first time. Within a century, men had sailed to the mystical east and sailed across the Atlantic in search of new lands, treasure, spices and tradable commodities. These men brought back new animals, plants and tales of sea serpents, lands of plenty and strange natives. The most valuable things the first explorers brought back were spices - strange powders, leaves and nuts imbued with mystical powers- which improved stale food and brightened the kitchen. There were still islands to be found (including Australia) although the world as we know it today had pretty much been mapped.