INTERLUDE VIII: (1625)
Thank you for coming. The patient is resting comfortably, but as you're aware he had a bit of a shock in Oman, and I beg you will not stay too long or agitate his mind in any way.
We decided to start by reminding the patient of some happier memories. Here, for example, is Mali.
As you see, still very calm and peaceful. Other than a spot of trouble with Portugal their borders haven't really changed in a century or more.
We then skipped over some unpleasantness and turned to the Mughal Empire.
The Mughals continued to prosper after our patient left: Certainly not as dynamic as before, but a world power and the dominant power in the Near East.
We then tried to work through some failed dreams regarding Savoy.
Savoy's unfortunately stagnated, with the Spanish behemoth ripping away most of its southern coast. A regional power, but that's all.
We didn't want the patient to focus on bad times however, so we quickly turned our attention to Morocco:
Now there is a regional superpower, strong enough to hold off the might of Europe.
On to Japan, but here the memories were bittersweet as well:
Regrets revolving around wasted opportunities, but the Japanese are still a strong regional power.
Which in turn led to Russia:
The patient began experiencing symptoms of euphoria and megalomania. We sought to restore stability by reminding him of Shan.
Like most of the others, Shan has held their own. The lack of vengeance versus Ayutthaya took its toll though, and was a direct factor in the patient's current fragility of mind.
Though Oman didn't help.
Depending on what happens now, the Omani war could last indefinitely. As the turn ended we checked to see what terms the...uhm..people we don't mention around the patient... wanted for peace. They're holding out for 100% warscore, which is unlikely in the current balance.
Our long term prognosis for the patient is good, and we expect him to make a full recovery. Right now he requires calm, peace, and to avoid any shocks or stresses of any kind. Fortunately, we've found a nice quiet place for him to stay during his convalesence.
What could go wrong?