Jason Jones Learns About Manchuria

As Jason Jones takes the long flight to Manchuria to find the source of the mysterious creatures that have recently troubled his life, he does a bit of reading from a books he bought in the airport. Let's read over his shoulder, shall we?

- Manchuria has extreme climate variances from season to season, alternating between bitterly cold winds off the northern tundra to sweltering heat from the south! (Jason reconsiders his luggage.)

- Manchuria was invaded by Japan in 1931, beginning Japan's attempt to annex China. Fighting continued throughout the 1930s; some munitions remain to this day! (Jason thinks about the likelihood of his wandering into such munitions while searching for the centaurs and such, and resolves to keep a wary eye out at all times.)

- Manchuria was one of the first regions in China to industrialize, and remains a major industrial power; most of the rural inhabitants are concentrated in the south. (Jason worries about smog, and hopes that he will not gain some horrific cancer from the trip.)

- Manchuria is bounded by rivers to the north and east, and by the Greater Khingan Range in the west! (Jason begins to fall asleep!)

- Certain regions in Manchuria, largely in the Southwest, are marked by unusual rates of disappearances and cryptozoological (that is, mythical) creature reports. Tourists are cautioned against visiting. (Jason wakes up.)