In nature, things generally don’t change slowly over time. They reach an equilibrium, which will last for generations. Then, over a relatively short period of time, everything changes. Things that had been stable for a thousand years will change completely over ten or twenty years. It may take a long time, but eventually things will reach a new equilibrium. These changes are revolutions.

Think about how the Renaissance came to be. The Middle Ages had basically settled into Feudalism, with barely defined kingdoms fighting each other over squabbles that the people involved barely knew. Suddenly, Spain get liberated from the Muslim Moors, and there is a rediscovery of knowledge passed down from the Greeks and the Roman Empire. This knowledge had been passed down and built upon by hundreds of years of learning and research during the Byzantine period in the Middle East. The Crusades allowed more of this information to be brought back to central Europe, and in a matter of a few years, the transformation of Feudal Europe was underway.

When creating your setting, think about what sorts of revolutions happened along the way, and how have they changed the setting. Not all of these will be positive or lead to better times. The Rise of Communism in Asia was clearly a detriment to their cultures. The establishment of the Enlightenment was generally a positive, but lead to violent clashed between the powers of the old authority and the new.

Think about natural phenomena and how that can lead to disruptive change. If the major mountain passes are suddenly blocked by a string of eruptions from a newly active volcano, a previously prosperous area may suddenly be plunged into political and economic chaos. Over the years, the peoples of the North and South will grow apart in language, cultural norms, and even levels of technology. When they reestablish contact, they each may view the other as the inferior culture, while they are the true representatives of the old country.

Political, economic, philosophical, and technological innovations will also affect the rest of society. Just look at what computers and the internet have done to our culture. This will give you the answer to the question “why are things like this” when it comes to your setting.

I’m going to be on vacation next week, so I won’t be posting. I see you in two weeks! Thanks for reading.