Cycle

A new Cycle begins when there is a cataclysmic event. Records of past Cycles often describe an almost unrecognizable world; In some texts there is mention the origin of monsters as large as mountains who fought and destroyed cities, or talk of a new ability that has never been seen before; Magic. Whatever events caused these changes they significantly affected the world, and caused massive losses of population. Only once those that remained emerged and grew out once more did civilization rebuild, giving rise to new cities, new traditions and new stories.
There have been only three Cycles in recorded history, however, going so far back the details become very vague.

1st Cycle - Mountains

As this was thousands of years ago the information is limited, however, texts declare mountains that came to life, lakes that rose up and crawled out of their beds and birds that could enshadow cities. Beyond this there is little known.

2nd Cycle - Thoughts as Actions

This cycle is documented much more thoroughly and, as such, is more thoroughly understood, especially as it began to give rise to the first meritocracies based on intelligence. During this age, some were found to be able to naturally make the world bend to their will; a flick of the wrist could sent an errant bolt of fire, and focused attention could convey a message telepathically. As time went on intelligent individuals studied these talents and how they might occur. After many hundreds of years these proto-wizards were casting spells the sorcerers of the time had never conjured. It was also in this time that the gods first approached man, and dwarf, and elf, directly and imbued them with their aspect, giving rise to the first Paladins and Clerics.
With magic on the rise battles were now directed by the sources of power on the field, which became even more valuable after the Elves of the Feywild ventured into the Prime Material plane and settled, often ending up in powerful positions in the nations they supported.

3rd Cycle - Bitter Winds

The start of the current Cycle was just over 650 years ago. Given that many northern settlements actually managed to survive the last Cycle little is known about the cause of the last catastrophe to rock the planet. Given the lack of records it is speculated that the event was a single, very brief occurrence as no changes were documented before it happened and the north only documented a long, bitter winter after a particularly strong earth quake.