Believing he has been imprisoned by Bannor, Thomas Covenant waits in silent rage while he contemplates the uncanny similarities between himself and the mural depicting the late Berek Halfhand.

His thoughts are soon interrupted by a loud knock and he finds himself with peculiar visitors who feel the need to explain the mysterious properties of the light generating stones known as gravalingas and ultimately to introduce the distinguished Lord Mormon.

Lord Mormon then goes on to explain many, many, many things about the Land and Bannor and the Bloodguard...and goes on to explain many, many more things in painstaking, verbose detail.