Answer:
stories, wealth, alliances
Explanation:
First, the Europeans had heard many legends about mythical beasts (dragons, pheonixes, all that good stuff.) These stories, naturally, attracted European attention. Discovery of one of these animals would mean instant wealth.
Second, promises of gold inspired a lot of European exploration. Gold was the reason Spanish explorers came to South America, Asia was no different.
Lastly, stories of the powerful kings of the East motivated many European nations to explore the regions. An alliance with a powerful Asian monarch would prove very useful.
Hope this helps:)
