Precepts are, collectively, instructions given by the ancient elves of Eita to their colossi. While each colossi could be commanded to perform particular tasks as required, their precepts served as general guidelines should they be lacking more specific orders. Precepts were brief and succinct, as it was rare that any colossus would be required to fall back upon them for any extended period.
Precepts were almost always collected on precept tablets, upon which was written a preamble in Elven - "as is decreed to" followed by the colossus' name - along with four to six directives. These tablets were bound to their colossi through the ritual that brought life to the constructs. While the precepts could later be altered if required, doing so would necessitate the need to repeat the ritual, as the colossi were prone to instability and confusion otherwise as they tried to reconcile multiple, sometimes quite different, sets of instructions.
Lacking in direction, the colossi abandoned across Brightmarch when the elves retreated back to the Cradle largely either retreated inward and become catatonic, or else went berserk. Some peoples, most notably the Idrimi, later learned that these colossi could be shaken from their stupor if reminded of their goals, usually accomplished by locating and presenting their precept tablets.
Many precept tablets were stored in the aeroliths, where they can still often be found after the flying cities crashed around the world.