===== Foreword =====
Before I begin with the task of setting down the events of the Period of Destruction in ink, I want to give my readers some idea about the difficulties of what I am about to do.

First of all I have been witness to none of the events I am going to write about – in fact few actual witnesses survived to tell their tale. Furthermore I myself have never left this island of Derimir to see any of those places with my own eyes.

I know that, although Derimir has seen war and death aplenty in the past years, we have been spared the worst of what happened on the mainland.

I have however been able to talk with some people who were there: some who came to Derimir after the Destruction as refugees, some who happened to be travelling there at the time, and even some who chose to go there to actually fight for the continuation of life on Myaasia.

Among the latter I count Lady Thenthen and Lord *crossed out* Sir *crossed out* Mr Jursen, who might still be found for some first-hand accounts of the past events, Lady High Mage Shessair-Dana, who has since been lost in the Outer Dimensions, Archwitch Naredia, who was slain in the Battle of the Gods, Neda Loxley who fell at the side of her Lord Ra, battling the armies of Xanathar, and Lady Gaidin and Lord Tenderbottum, whose whereabouts today I know nothing about.

Regarding the liches who almost spelled doom for all life on Myaasia, I was told by Lady Liamyn that the names we know them by are by no means their real names, but they have been known by those names through the ages and their real names would be too dangerous to use anyway.

In these volumes, I will try to faithfully record the events of the end of the third era, the fall of old gods, the ascension of new gods, from the beginning of the Period of Destruction to the Battle of the Gods to the best of my ability.

I hope my efforts will help future generations understand just what their ancestors fought and died for.

Benjamin Black

Derimir, in the ninth year of Beaver, first periods, fourth era