A great plague has set upon what was once a flourishing center for the arts. Famine has broken out. Psy-ops are everywhere and have delivered a striking blow to the economy. Everyday life has become a game of hopscotching around mysterious violent attacks. Nobody quite understands what's going on, but there are clues here and there.
Yet despite all the chaos, foreign relations are intact, even if they aren't quite sure what's happening either. Resources are limited, but not completely depleted. Your nation is in peril, but it is salvageable.