The Invitation to the Ritual is the key that opens the Hesperides of Love and Hate quest chain in Snezhnaya, and completing that chain hands you one of the three Eye of Graeae fragments. Getting the invitation is simple, but using it correctly means reaching a specific mansion high on Fellfrost Peak and presenting the letter at the right statue.
Quick answer: Pick up the Invitation to the Ritual in Svetloledovka (or from Mesherskaya near the bulletin board), then travel to the Fellfrost Peak Statue of the Seven to the south. Follow Ikhor to the House of Hesperides and place the invitation on the statue to the right of the front door to open it.
Requirements before you can start
The questline arrived with the 7.0 update and is tied to your Snezhnaya story progress. You need to reach the point in the Archon Quest Chapter VII Act 1: Great Deeds on the Tundra where the Traveler and Paimon settle into Snezhnograd. That moment removes the exploration barriers and lets you roam freely.
Once you can move around, call the train at the Central Station using the Eye of Graeae and travel to Svetloledovka, which is the closest town to where the invitation appears.
Where to find the Invitation to the Ritual
The invitation is a wedding letter from Pavlina, the Grand Duchess of the Snegurochka. There are a few ways to get it, so you only need one of the following.
If you would rather not search the platforms, speak to Mesherskaya. She stands southwest of the Teleport Waypoint by the bulletin board and can give you the same invitation. You can also find a copy inside the office west of Svetloledovka Station, sitting on one of the seats in the waiting area. If you miss it entirely, Paimon will pick it up automatically once you arrive at Fellfrost Peak.
Reach the House of Hesperides (Through the Gates of Ivory)
With the invitation in hand, the first subquest, Through the Gates of Ivory, begins as you approach the mountain.
Tip: There is a cave south of the Statue of the Seven holding a separate World Quest called For an Ice Mirror Fragment. Completing it leaves the Traveler at a higher point closer to the mansion, which speeds up the climb.
Use the invitation at the mansion door
This is the actual “use” step for the invitation. The doors stay closed until you present the letter.
After the scene, the Traveler wakes and Aksinya uses the Eye of Graeae to ask you to recover the fragments. The quest now splits into three parallel objectives.
The three fragment subquests
Procrustes’ Iron Bed cannot be finished until you clear both House of the Soulless and The Sun’s Gilded Apple first. Handle the two fragment hunts, then return to the chapel.
| Subquest | What to do |
|---|---|
| House of the Soulless | Return to the waypoint near the entrance, go up the stairs to the left, and enter the door on the left. Detour around the guarded private room, reach the far side, investigate to uncover a secret room, solve the shadow-statue puzzle, and take the first Ikhor fragment from the cellar. |
| The Sun’s Gilded Apple | Head to the elevator that was closed earlier and ride it down to the garden. Sneak past the guards without stepping into the red detection zones to claim the second Ikhor fragment. |
| Procrustes’ Iron Bed | With both fragments recovered, go back to the chapel where the wedding took place. Pavlina kills the blonde boy and vanishes, spawning waves of enemies. Fight the Snegovik and clear the room to complete this step. |
The secret-room puzzle in House of the Soulless works by casting shadows on the wall. First place three statues that hold a creature to open the hidden room, then swap one of them for the statue holding a sword to finish the solution.
Bell Ringing at Dusk and the final fight
Clearing Procrustes’ Iron Bed changes the quest to Bell Ringing at Dusk, the finale.
How to know it worked and what you earn
Beating Pavlina completes Bell Ringing at Dusk and, with it, the entire Hesperides of Love and Hate chain. Aksinya hands you one of the three Eye of Graeae fragments, and you unlock the Ladder of Love achievement worth 10 Primogems. The opening subquest, Through the Gates of Ivory, also pays out along the way with Primogems, Mystic Enhancement Ore, Mora, and Hero’s Wit. Once you hold the fragment, you can move on to the remaining two chains needed to piece the Eye of Graeae together.
