16th century: Science, summary and a map!
@HelloLegend: No, the Hong are quite stable, also thanks to introducing better government methods (see below). There are Mongolians there, but the Great Wall and stronger garnisons than the Song had keep the Mongols out. (They harass the Russians, however.) The mentioned clan was butterflied away since long. The Nuzhen are wedged between Chinese and Russians, and might fall sooner or later to the one or another.
Before we come to the rest, of few retcons for Atlantis:
1518/19: Castillians subjugate the first Maya cities.
(There are/were a lot of political entities around, each of had to be defeated independently, other than the Aztecs or Inca.)
1527: Huayna Capac doesn't die.
1528: Huascar, son of Huayna Capac, caught conspiring against his brother, the heir of Huayna Capac, named Ninan Cuyochi.
1529: Smallpox hit the Mexica... however, the Allies of the Quadruple monarchy aren't better off, so it's a two-sided damage.
Motehcuhzoma II dies too, Cuitláuac becomes new ruler of the Mexica.
1532: Huayna Capac dies.
1549: French monks arrive in the Inca Empire to convert the population to Christianity.
Since ~1550: After Mexico, the Inca lands adapt a pidgin version of French for communication with the Europeans.
1550: Mining experts from Europe teach the Inca new techniques to get more silver from OTL Potosi. The Inca use their new riches to buy weapons and tools, and later books and machines from Europeans.
1552: Silver discovered in Zacatecas.
1553: Plagues hit Inca empire, killing a great percentage of the population. Chibcha in the North and several more (like the Aymara) in the South become practically independent again.
1554: Second plague hits Central Atlantis.
1571: With the help of his French advisors, Inca ruler Sayri Tupaq manages to stabilize his rule in the center of the old empire.
1583: Second big plague in the reduced Inca empire.
1586: Third plague hits Central Atlantis. When the dust has settled, only 6 of 15 million Mesoatlanteans survive (and that's still better than OTL!)
1595: Chachapoyas in the forests of Peru pay allegiance to the Inca again.
1597: Axayacatl II of Mexico starts to expand the Mexica Empire after long time again.
History of science in the 16th century:
General state of the art:
Western Europe: Some progresses in mathematics, mining, cartography. The reconquests in Italy gave them more Islamic knowledge.
Islamic World: With the new microscope, blood cells are discovered. Astronomians discover the big Jupiter moons, sun spots and work out the elliptical nature of the solar system. Physicists discover diffraction of the light and calculate the light's velocity. They face one problem, however: Scientists are restricted to use pictures in their works. The printing press is known and used in conquered Italy, Austria and Hungary, but in the other Muslim lands, the mighty guilds of the calligraphs prevent its introduction.
India: Kerala school goes further on, discovers calculus and proves many mathematical theorems.
China: Statistics are developed further, being useful for administration (and gambling).
Read [post=710373]a bit more about how the Hong use statistics[/post]!
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Summary of the 16th century:
Atlantis: All Western European countries take some Caribbean islands. The Quadruple monarchy expands greatly, but is restricted in the Occidental War by France, which allies with the Mexica and the Inca, who survive as empires, despite being struck hard by European diseases. The Mississippi and Hudson Bay area becomes part of the French sphere of influence.
Western und Northern Europe: In the Quadruple Monarchy, the king takes control over the church, founding the Occidental church with some new laws. The churches are reunificated however after the Occidental War, which also leads to the independence of Scotland-Ireland under the quasi-legendary Prince Alasdair, who later also becomes king of Scandinavia. Aragon divided between France and Castille.
Central Europe: HRE makes reforms, elects French kings Holy Roman Emperors. Florence expands, getting Rome, Naples, Sardinia. Hungary is resurrected by the French, who also conquer the Bohemian theocracy. Venice, Württemberg-Austria and Bavaria make the "Alliance des Alpes" with France.
Eastern Europe: The Russian states expand greatly, settling Siberia / Novorossiya and taking lands from the Seljuk north of the Black Sea. Vladimir-Suzdal defeats a Western European power, Sweden.
Muslim world: After initial successes (conquest of Vienna, the Marches, Kipchaks pay them tribute) the Seljuks are defeated several times by the Christians, losing many lands to the Europeans. They also get more and more trouble with the Dvoryans (OTL Cossacks) in the Ukraine.
East Asia: Hong empire stays dominant, although they clash repeatedly with Muslims (Arab pirates, Bengals, Philippine Muslims). Russians and Chinese make contact. Persia expands into India.
Rest of the world: Portuguese expand the slave trade to Congo. Scandinavians found a colony ("Australia") in South Africa.
And here's the map of Europe:
(yellow is Luxembourg-Tyrol, light pink are the Hohenzollern realms of Franconia-Pomerania, Mecklenburg belongs to Sweden, and the colored areas near the Asov Sea are the Dvoryan republics of Kipchakia and Polovtsia.)
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