I do not structure fantasy eras as loose timeframes, but as a sequence of **causes and effects**. An era does not exist simply because time passes, but because power, order, and ways of life change. Every era needs a reason why it begins and a reason why it ends.
1. The Necessary Break: Defining Turning Points
My starting point is always a **turning point**. Wars, catastrophes, the fall of gods, new empires, or the loss of knowledge mark the transition. I first ask: What destroyed the old order? And what emerged from it? Without this break, an era is merely a calendar page without meaning.
2. Rule #1: Clear Characteristics of the Time
The first rule is: Every era needs a **clear characteristic**. A time can be defined by empire, decay, expansion, religious wars, or reconstruction. This characteristic influences politics, architecture, language, technology, and morality. An era without a recognizable profile is indistinguishable from the one before it.
3. Rule #2: Causality and the Chain of History
The second rule is **causality**. No era stands alone. The mistakes of the old time create the problems of the new one. A fallen empire leaves power vacuums. A forbidden faith leaves fanatics. A lost war leaves hunger and hatred. History is a chain, not a mosaic.
4. Rule #3: Human Perspective
The third rule is **human perspective**. Eras do not exist as neutral terms, but as memory. For one people, it is the Age of Betrayal. For another, the Time of Order. I structure eras based on how they were experienced, not on their objective names. This creates contradictory historical views that generate conflict.
5. Limitation and Integration into the Plot
The fourth rule is **limitation**. I do not create ten equal eras. I choose a few major sections with clear transitions. Too many ages dilute meaning. What matters is not the number, but the impact of each era on the present of the story.
The fifth rule is **integration into the plot**. Eras are not explained as a timeline, but made visible through consequences: ruins from old wars, laws from past uprisings, mistrust from ancient betrayals. Characters act based on what happened in earlier times. History influences decisions.
Sometimes explanatory passages are necessary. In those cases, I write them logically, chronologically, and understandably. No legends without context. No myths without cause. Every historical narrative must explain why the world is the way it is today.
For me, a fantasy era is not a decorative background. It is a state of power in the world at a specific time. Those who structure eras sensibly build a story in layers: the past shapes the present, the present decides the future. Only then does a world emerge that not only exists but carries a coherent history.