On the world of Zion, far away from Sinai, Lady Willow Dack has been granted far-reaching authority in advising "Methuselah" (also known as the Archon) regarding a test of twenty-four candidates for the position of succeeding him as ruler of the Silent Ones. The twenty-four candidates have been gathered on the Silent Ones home world of Zion, at a remote monastery, where they have been undergoing various tests of moral character, leadership ability, and combat prowess, among other features that might or might not be of import for a leader of the militaristic Silent Ones.