When Death seized Heaven's throne, he conscripted the wayward Titans to enforce his plutocracy. Lava-blooded Te Kā, now a Hadean vassal, strides the ocean demanding treasure. Islands that do not tithe must evacuate, enduring a long voyage to an uncertain harbor. Those that give up their heirlooms must quickly find or steal more before the firetyrant returns to the island. The only fearless places here are the smoking footsteps of towering Te Kā, new islands in the ocean, drawing squabbling birds, seals, green grass.
To the northwest lies China. It is into a hostile environment that Zheng He's expeditionary fleet sailed. The ships of one of the Pacific's most aggressive islands chased him off-course, harassing him until he sought shelter on an uninhabited island. There, the Chinese expedition huddles besieged, blockaded by catamarans eager to steal their jade-inlaid machines.
To the east lies the Incan Empire. One shipborne polity has fled Te Kā all the way to the Incan coast, bearing with them the defeated yet cheerful demigod Maui. Claiming a forgotten harbor as their new home, they were immediately engaged by the forces of the irate Empress. But while the Empire has mastered the mountains, none can match Maui at sea. Dispatching the sorceress' octopus-form soldiers, he opines, "What could be better than a world full of foes?"
To the west lies Kumandra. On a beach full of sand-dusted statues, a huge glimmering monster sidles out of the water. It is the crab Tamatoa, who uses the silent cities of Kumandra as his personal jewelry-box.
Atlantis: Although the life-giving Titan Te Fiti never harbored any intention of war, the ancient Atlanteans watched her with fearful mistrust. The mere existence of beings like her motivated the development of their incredible forcefields & weaponry.