frank

The Empire of the Setting Sun: what if Japan & Britain swapped their historical roles? The lore: "Basically, in this alternate timeline, Europe and China have kinda switched their historical trajectories. EUROPE In Europe, the Roman Empire never truly collapses. It gradually assimilates various barbarian customs and traditions, with several dynasties succeeding one another over the centuries. Over time, its territory becomes concentrated primarily in Western and Central Europe, as it loses its possessions in Africa and Asia. The Empire remains isolated, deeply attached to its bureaucracy and traditional systems of servitude. As a result, it proves incapable of effectively modernizing or adapting to the industrial technologies emerging from the Far East. THE EAST Meanwhile, in the East, following the fall of the Han dynasty, China never reunifies. The presence of multiple competing states fosters technological development, economic competition and maritime expansion. BRITAIN The island of Britain, having separated from Rome at a very early stage, retains a strong tradition of decentralized feudalism and a culture of isolation from the European continent. Britain remains predominantly Druidic (Celtic religions), maintaining a distrust of Roman Christianity. Eventually, the island unifies and establishes a centralized state. With the Victorian Restoration (1837–1901), Britain undergoes extensive economic and military modernization, adopting Eastern inspired industrial practices, technologies and military innovations. This transformation allows it to emerge as a modern European power commanding considerable respect, particularly in contrast to the Roman Empire's ongoing Great Century of Humiliation. It is not long before the British begin projecting their power over their neighbors. Following the gradual conquest and assimilation of Ireland, the First Roman-British War comes to an end, and Britain subsequently annexes Iceland, Brittany, Denmark and Norway. With the outbreak of the Second Great War in Asia, with the traditional rivals Wei and Wu and their respective allies against one another, Britain seizes the opportunity to side with Wei and occupy Wu's African colonies and those of its allies. At the same time, the British intensify the Second Roman-British War, which unfolds alongside a Roman civil war between the Nationalists and the Spartacistas. Beyond seeking protection against potential invasions from the continent, the British are driven by their desire for cheap labor and access to the highly productive agricultural lands of Galia and Germania. Justified by an ideology of racial superiority over the Romans, British forces employ brutal tactics in occupied Roman cities. The Romans, in turn, put up fierce resistance and resort to every available means of slowing the invasion, including the deliberate destruction of dams along the Rhine. Britain's greatest strategic weakness, however, lies in its lack of resources at home. The air raid on the naval base at Nuofuke, in the territory of Fusang, a former Wu colony, brings the great power of the New World into the conflict. As a result, Britain gradually loses its grip on the Atlantic. Ultimately, the British are defeated, worn down by the enormous costs of the war and the fierce Roman resistance in defense of their homeland."