Based on Chinese history, Through Rivers and Lakes loosely draws from the mid-to-late Tang era, taking inspiration from many Wuxia novels from authors such as Jin Yong and Gu Long.
❖ WORLD ❖
The Kang [康] Dynasty has long been regarded as a golden age of civilization - a world where Imperial and Martial realms coexist in an uneasy alliance, but prosper nonetheless.
Yet the imperial court has gradually become corrupt, and its strict governance has increasingly turned into tyranny.
Over the past two decades, successive pockets of uprising thus erupted; and two emperors passed away within a decade of one another, abruptly ceding ground to a contested new successor.
The newly crowned Divine Emperor now ascends the throne, ushering in a new era title: Tianshun [天顺], "Obedience to Heaven".
Despite the supposed separation of the ordered and martial world, your life is not unaffected. With the new Emperor's ascension, the iron grip of the imperial court once again reaches towards the martial realm. They seem to be in search of something - or someone.
❖ HISTORY ❖
The past three centuries of the Kang Dynasty stand as a golden age of civilization, where the realm flourished with trade and knowledge. Long-existing martial sects also grew ever stronger in the prosperity of this world - the realm teemed with untamed free spirits beyond count, giving rise to distinguished individuals and pockets of power outside the control of the Imperial court.
Wary of the uncontrolled power the martial sects possessed, the ordered and martial realm thus devolved into conflict - only after a decade of war did both sides finally reach an agreement.
Yet corruption had quietly eroded this realm, and many witnessed the imperial court's iron-fisted rule gradually devolve into tyranny - welcoming an era of turmoil.
❖ CURRENT DECADE ❖
Since the assassination of Emperor Changwu [昌武帝] and abrupt rise and fall of the violent Siyi Revolt [思义之乱] of a decade past, the ordered world and martial world have returned into an uneasy truce, both unwilling to once again tear open this veneer of peace.
The Imperial Court, struggling to suppress latent pockets of rebellion from commoners in the aftermath of the martial revolt, gradually lightens their iron grip on many territories, turning a blind eye to powerful sects within the martial forest; the Martial Artist Alliance, in turn, quiets their plans of rebellion to lick their own wounds and recover from the deaths they suffered.
Yet, with the Imperial Court no longer at its zenith, their grasp on villains and miscreants is bound to slip. Thus, where they falter, the Martial Artist Alliance steps in - a delicate balancing act that seems to work, for the time being. There even seemed to be whispers of establishing a true alliance between the ordered and martial world - before the new era came to a sudden halt.
The Holy and Divine Emperor Yong'an [永安帝] passed away at merely 47, posthumously titled Emperor Dezong of Kang [康德宗]. Following the abrupt death of his chosen successor, a new emperor - his younger brother - ascends the throne, ushering in the era name Tianshun [天顺].
❖ TIMELINE ❖
Year 0. The Kang Dynasty is established.
Year 327. Emperor Changwu takes the throne. The Changwu Era begins.
Year 358. The Siyi Revolt begins.
Year 360. Emperor Changwu is assassinated, and Emperor Yong'an takes the throne. The Yong'an Era begins.
Year 363. The Siyi Revolt officially ends.
Year 370. Emperor Yong'an passes away. Emperor Tianshun takes the throne. The Tianshun Era begins, as does the story.
Drawing from themes and aesthetics of cyberpunk, soft science fiction, space fiction and space westerns, the setting and story of Unforgiven takes inspiration from classic sci-fi and cyberpunk media such as Star Wars, The Sprawl Trilogy, Asimov’s Robot series, Cowboy Bebop, and so much more.
▼ WORLD ▼
In this time, in this galaxy, humanity has sprawled over 58 planets, and have built up countless outposts in space stations and on asteroids.
The central eight most developed planets, spanning three star systems - named after the long since destroyed eight planets of the Solar System - are what is considered the Central Circuit, and where the United Coalitions of the Ascendant - colloquially known as the Ascendancy, or the UCA - first found its footing.
The UCA, this facade of a government bought out by corporations and their monetary interests, has been clawing at every other settled planet with any profit to be gained - and with the backing of military and corporate might alike, the Inner and Outer Circuit have been gradually folding under its control, though not without protests, resistance and outright warfare.
Sixteen years ago, however, the UCA declared to the galaxy its total victory, and total control - war, they said, and the treasonous resistance of detractors, is finally over. The Ascendancy will bring forth a new era of peace and prosperity; and those who wish to resist are inconsequential. There is no war to wage, and no oppression to be defeated.
