It is said that in the beginning, before the genesis of the Gods we hold in reverence today, there existed great and terrible beings beyond the scope of time-fabric and spacial identities; that is, outside the planes themselves, greater than the planes themselves. These beings have come to be known throughout civilized Ilyanna as the Elder Gods by those whom we assume can, in fact, read. They are so-called not only because they are the oldest deities we know of, but because they sired the Gods of the pantheons of all Ilyanna's cultures as we know them today, both savory and otherwise. 

My name is Bartolomew Nirodil and within these pages I have catalogued, prescribed, described, organized, and otherwise preserved every shred of knowlege I have been able to gather over the course of the last 200 years or so, all of which pertains, ofcourse, to the aforementioned Elder Gods. I must issue a final warning, however, to any that read this however few or many you may be. This knowlege comes not without a price, even if that is paid is the form of some small bit of sanity, so turn these pages carefully and with all-due mindfulness and never say I didn't warn you.

Consider also: any further inquiry into the Elder Gods beyond the information contained herein can be extremely hazardous to your health both physical and mental. I have, to my immense dismay, become the unfortunate first-hand audience to this fact; as my health rapidly declines, I beseech whosever may lay their hands on this book. Allow the mistakes of an old fool of a Gnome to be your guide and do not make the same. If you should so choose to continue your education in regards to the unfathomable, I implore you to do so with extreme caution and the utmost vigilance. 

Bartolomew Nirodil