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Excerpt from History of the Cipangu Archipelago

The Cipangu archipelago was changed forever with the Mongol invasion of 1274. This invasion remains one of the most devastating in history. The Mongol invaders, furious at heavy Japanese resistance in their first landing on Kyushu, razed the island before moving onto Honshu and Shikoku. Resistance remained somewhat powerful in the mountain regions of Cipangu, where Mongol horses could do little good, but these same mountains prevented the Cipangese rebels from having much arable land. Although the Mongols were unable to take complete control of the archipelago, the establishment of a competing government in the west plunged the archipelago into nearly a century of turmoil.

The invasion also marked the end Japanese isolation from mainland Asia and the beginning of vibrant trade with Goryeo. Goryean soldiers composed most of the Mongol invasion force and provided the main portion of the fleet. The Goryeo king ruled over the western Cipangese government as a vassal an many Goryean settlers moved into the area, much to the anger of the government in Tohoku. Goryeo, itself a vassal of Sina, also opened Cipangu to many Sinese. This marks the creation of two distinct Cipangese identities that persist to this day: the cosmopolitan west and the traditional east.

Excerpt from Medieval Asia, 1000-1500

The fortunes of the Yuan Dynasty declined significantly during the end of the 14th century. Although a powerful empire that had vassals in Goreyo, Cipangu, Namviet and Mayi, the Yuan suffered from declining agricultural productivity and internal unrest. The oceanic expeditions of the early 14th century, inspired by the relative success of the invasion of Cipangu, led the Yuan to gain more tributary states and consequently overstretched their capabilities. A period of political instability caused the fall of the Yuan and the rise of a native Han dynasty.

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This is a fairly straightforward scenario: the Mongols successfully invade Japan. Butterflies cause the Mongol invasions and occupation elsewhere to change and make the world unrecognizable to us.

By the 20th century, there is a major shift in the political status quo. While the world was once divided between the Orthodox Holy Alliance and the Catholic League, a new set of powers has arisen to challenge both. The Pact of Bronze, as it is known, is a hodgepodge of different powers with nothing in common except their desire to take the world for themselves. A paranoid, militaristic government has taken over Portugal, once England's closest ally, and wishes to destroy the leftist government in Castille. The Goryeans are a rising industrializing power, concerned that they are next on Europe's list of places to colonize. The Persians are an old power, run by a Mongol-descended dynasty, and wishes to expand its influence at the expense of the Holy Alliance. Ironically, the Holy Alliance and Catholic League are discussing creating a united front against these upstarts, agreeing that the devil they know is better than one they do not.

Description
Excerpt from History of the Cipangu Archipelago

The Cipangu archipelago was changed forever with the Mongol invasion of 1274. This invasion remains one of the most devastating in history. The Mongol invaders, furious at heavy Japanese resistance in their first landing on Kyushu, razed the island before moving onto Honshu and Shikoku. Resistance remained somewhat powerful in the mountain regions of Cipangu, where Mongol horses could do little good, but these same mountains prevented the Cipangese rebels from having much arable land. Although the Mongols were unable to take complete control of the archipelago, the establishment of a competing government in the west plunged the archipelago into nearly a century of turmoil.

The invasion also marked the end Japanese isolation from mainland Asia and the beginning of vibrant trade with Goryeo. Goryean soldiers composed most of the Mongol invasion force and provided the main portion of the fleet. The Goryeo king ruled over the western Cipangese government as a vassal an many Goryean settlers moved into the area, much to the anger of the government in Tohoku. Goryeo, itself a vassal of Sina, also opened Cipangu to many Sinese. This marks the creation of two distinct Cipangese identities that persist to this day: the cosmopolitan west and the traditional east.

Excerpt from Medieval Asia, 1000-1500

The fortunes of the Yuan Dynasty declined significantly during the end of the 14th century. Although a powerful empire that had vassals in Goreyo, Cipangu, Namviet and Mayi, the Yuan suffered from declining agricultural productivity and internal unrest. The oceanic expeditions of the early 14th century, inspired by the relative success of the invasion of Cipangu, led the Yuan to gain more tributary states and consequently overstretched their capabilities. A period of political instability caused the fall of the Yuan and the rise of a native Han dynasty.

---

This is a fairly straightforward scenario: the Mongols successfully invade Japan. Butterflies cause the Mongol invasions and occupation elsewhere to change and make the world unrecognizable to us.

By the 20th century, there is a major shift in the political status quo. While the world was once divided between the Orthodox Holy Alliance and the Catholic League, a new set of powers has arisen to challenge both. The Pact of Bronze, as it is known, is a hodgepodge of different powers with nothing in common except their desire to take the world for themselves. A paranoid, militaristic government has taken over Portugal, once England's closest ally, and wishes to destroy the leftist government in Castille. The Goryeans are a rising industrializing power, concerned that they are next on Europe's list of places to colonize. The Persians are an old power, run by a Mongol-descended dynasty, and wishes to expand its influence at the expense of the Holy Alliance. Ironically, the Holy Alliance and Catholic League are discussing creating a united front against these upstarts, agreeing that the devil they know is better than one they do not.