Starving Artists of Svetloledovka
Last updated 2026-08-27
Starving Artists of Svetloledovka (unofficial name) is a Hidden Exploration Objective that takes place in Svetloledovka, Everfrozen Earth, Snezhnaya.
It involves helping three Prime Ice designers in Svetloledovka to solve the problems with their Prime Ice designs.
Location
Malevich's location
Yarina's location
Zharkaya's location
Steps
Malevich
- Approach Malevich
- Complete the Prime Ice design according to the illustration order
- Remove the top-left corner and bottom-right corner of the lower Prime Ice Cubes to complete this step.
Yarina
- Approach Yarina
- Complete the Prime Ice design
- Finish the incomplete Prime Ice structure by making it symmetrical with the finished design on the left side. Add a Prime Ice Cube on the bottom left of the structure and pick up a Glaciafruit placed on one of the Prime Ice Cube.
Zharkaya
- Approach Zharkaya
- Complete the Prime Ice design according to the illustration order
Gameplay Notes
- Completing this Hidden Exploration Objective rewards
Exquisite Chest ×4.
Dialogue
Malevich
- (Approach ???)
- Paimon: Hmm, looks like someone's in trouble up ahead. Shall we go have a look, (Traveler)?
- ???: This won't do. If we increase the number of ice blocks, even by only one...
- (Talk to Malevich)
- Malevich: Oh no... The Master had only used three blocks of Prime Ice for his work. But for me to create more or less the same form, I'll need five...
- Malevich: *Sigh* If only someone could help me think of a way out...
"The Master"?- Malevich: Yes, The Master. Oh... Hello, dear (sir/
madame). Oh... hello to you to, flying miss. - Malevich: Has either of you... heard of the artist Kazimir Larionov by any chance? The one they call "The Master"?
- Nope.
- Malevich: Oh. The two of you... don't look like you're from Svetloledovka. So you might not have heard of an artist from around here. That's understandable. Yes, very understandable.
- Malevich: He is a renowned master artist who's been hailed as "the master who ushered in a new age of Snezhnayan avant-garde art," "the father of Prime Ice aesthetics," and "the sole representative of the Glaciafruit school of art."
- He must be really famous, then?
- Malevich: Of course, of course! Oh. The two of you... don't look like you're from Svetloledovka. So you might not have heard of an artist from around here. That's understandable. Yes, very understandable.
- Malevich: He's been hailed as "the master who ushered in a new age of Snezhnayan avant-garde art," "the father of Prime Ice aesthetics," and "the sole representative of the Glaciafruit school of art."
- Paimon: Did you say "Glaciafruit"? You mean his work is edible or something? Yum!
- Malevich: Oh no, no, no, my dear flying miss. Hmm... how would the high-class folks in Snezhnograd put it...? Oh! They call that an "aesthetic."
- Malevich: Most importantly, he grew up here, right in Svetloledovka! It's such an honor to be from the same town as our avant-garde master...
- Malevich: As the story goes, The Master had rather humble beginnings here. His family wasn't very wealthy, and he didn't go to school much either. In his younger days, he worked here in town as a laborer, at the ice quarry... which is also pretty much what I do now.
- Malevich: But then, he went somewhere further in life. He created some beautiful sculptures out of Prime Ice, and later... his talent was discovered and he became an artist. That's when he left Svetloledovka to live among the high-class folks in Snezhnograd...
- Malevich: I like this story very much, my dear (sir/
madame), my dear flying miss, so much so that I, Malevich, decided to go into this line because of it... - Do you wish to become an artist too?
- Malevich: You are absolutely right, my dear (sir/
madame). I wish to become an artist just like The Master.
- Malevich: You are absolutely right, my dear (sir/
- Do you wish to become one of the "high-class folks" too?
- Malevich: Oh... I have never thought of it that way, my dear (sir/
madame). - Malevich: I just wish to become an artist just like The Master.
- Malevich: Oh... I have never thought of it that way, my dear (sir/
- Malevich: Although I'm just an ordinary Prime Ice designer right now and have yet to make it out of Svetloledovka... At the very least, I can say that I'm starting off at the very same place as The Master.
- Malevich: As long as I work hard to learn from The Master's ways and recreate his style, I will be able to walk the same path he did... all the way to Snezhnograd where I will be a great artist respected by all.
- Malevich: Then, I'll be able to stay in a big house and not have to worry about where my heating will come from. Who knows, I might even get to meet the Tsaritsa herself... and drink all the kvass I want without having to pay for it. No one will dare look down on me...
- But you seem rather troubled right now.
- Malevich: *Sigh* you are right, my dear (sir/
madame). I was presented with an opportunity that has however left me unsure of what to do. - Malevich: As luck would have it, the Prime Ice Art Exhibition happening soon in Snezhnograd is planning a special themed exhibition called "Classics, Redux: The Glaciafruit Master Returns (A Special Homage Exhibition)."
- Malevich: And the job orders for this exhibition are sent here to Svetloledovka... Since I've been imitating The Master all this while, you must see how important this opportunity is to me.
- Malevich: If I can faithfully reproduce The Master's work, my dear (sir/
madame), maybe the artists in Snezhnograd will notice me... - Malevich: But the order I received... *Sigh* The Master had used only three blocks of Prime Ice to create the original work. But for me to reproduce the work in the illustration, I'll need at least five.
- Must you stick to three blocks though?
- Malevich: Of course, of course. The Master was able to use just three blocks of Prime Ice probably due to some ingenuity on his part. And that very ingenuity might just be why he's regarded as an artist.
- Maybe just completing the work would be a victory in itself.
- Malevich: Oh, it's really nice of you to say that to make me feel better. But... what if he's regarded as an artist precisely because he's able to make it out of three blocks of Prime Ice?
- Malevich: If I were to use five blocks of Prime Ice... whatever I end up making won't be The Master's work at all. And if I can't even recreate The Master's work, how am I supposed to walk the same path he did?
- Malevich: Besides, the order only pays enough for three blocks of Prime Ice. I'll have to pay for any additional blocks used out of my own pocket...
- Paimon: So that's what this is really all about! The money!
- Malevich: Th—— My dear flying miss, I don't think it's very fair of you to say that. While it is also important that I am paid my due, I wouldn't be so vexed if this was only about a few Mora.
- Malevich: What I'm really worried about is... what would the folks in Snezhnograd think if I can't come up with a faithful reproduction of The Master's work? I can't afford to let this precious opportunity go to waste.
- Malevich: Just to prove to the both of you... that I, Malevich, am not as small-minded as you think, I'm willing to give you the payment for this order, as long as the two of you can help me think of a way out.
- Let's take a look at that job order first.
- Malevich: Here's the job order... look at the illustration over here. We'll have to remove two blocks of Prime Ice somehow. And if you succeed, you can have the payment for the job order.
- Order Illustration
- Order Illustration
- (Talk to Malevich again, optional)
- Malevich: ...The road to becoming a Master is a long and arduous one indeed. Oh.. it's you. Have you thought of a way yet?
- I'd like to take a look at that job order again.
- Malevich: The order is right there on the wooden board. You can take a look at it anytime.
- Let me think about it more.
- Malevich: Thanks, I'm counting on you.
- (If the Prime Ice is incorrectly placed or removed)
- Paimon: That doesn't look right. Let's try again, shall we?
- (After completing the Prime Ice design)
- Malevich: Wow... I can't believe it! This looks exactly like The Master's work! You've been such a great help. Here's a little something from me...
- (If the player haven't finished helping other artists)
-
- Malevich: There are other designers here who are also having trouble with their orders. So if you have some time to spare, you might want to take a walk around town...
- (An Exquisite Chest unlocks)
Yarina
- (Approach ???)
- ???: A master's work? Hah! Any piece that lacks a sense of "order" is destined to be forgotten.
- Paimon: Hmm, has another designer landed themselves in hot water? C'mon, (Traveler), let's go have a look.
- (Talk to Yarina)
- Yarina: "The Master," they say? Ha! It seems their taste over in Snezhnograd is truly in decline. Not one of the works in this job can be said to possess even the slightest compositional discipline.
- "Compositional discipline"...?
- Yarina: That's right, compositional discipline. And that is the ultimate Prime Ice aesthetic standard that our years of practice have bestowed upon our generation, upon our Snezhnaya.
- Yarina: I still remember those days when I was in art school in Snezhnograd. Back then, you'd be mocked mercilessly if your work lacked compositional discipline.
- Yarina: Oh how I miss those days! You know, it was a place where one could live and breathe art. It was a place of such brilliance, where a genius could find kindred spirits, unlike where we are now... *Sigh*
- Yarina: But I digress. Allow me to tell you about the absolute farce of an order I received.
- Yarina: It's an order for sculptures from the art exhibition in Snezhnograd. Open up the illustration and look for yourself — look at all those ill-disciplined designs! Look at how out of balance and harmony they all are!
- Yarina: Look at how everything is tilted, every line drawn in a fit of emotion! The very language of these sculptures is nothing more than a clumsy imitation of nature, a poor attempt at concealing the gross failure in structural ethics and moral principles of ice sculpture!
- Paimon: Uh... What is she saying? Paimon doesn't understand a thing...
- Please don't ever talk like that, Paimon.
- Paimon: Paimon can't even if she tried!
- I don't understand a thing either.
- Yarina: That's alright, you don't have to feel bad for your lack of understanding. After all, not everyone has the means to pursue further studies in Snezhnograd or has the opportunity to rub shoulders with important people in the art world.
- Paimon: What in the... She seems a little smug even, doesn't she???
- Yarina: Me? Of course! Mind you, the townsfolk call me, Yarina, "the Master of the future", so I have very good reason to be! And I naturally have very good reason to discuss such matters at a level befitting a true master too.
- Yarina: Anyway! Since the two of you are so sincere and seem to know your place, I'm happy to explain this to you.
- Yarina: Every year, the folks at the Prime Ice sculpture exhibition in Snezhnograd would send their jobs here in Svetloledovka. And this year is no exception.
- Yarina: And this time, they're planning a special themed exhibition called "Classics, Redux: The Glaciafruit Master Returns (A Special Homage Exhibition)."
- Yarina: That is to say, we Prime Ice designers are tasked with creating reproductions of that... that Glaciafruit artist. By the name of... Larionov or something.
- Yarina: But how terribly disappointing! You'll know why once you look at the job order. None of those "works" are even really symmetrical! Even if they look balanced at first glance, a closer examination will tell you that the number of Prime Ice blocks needed on each side is totally different.
- Yarina: Is this "The Master" we're talking about? If you ask me, either this man lacks the proper technical foundation, or he's simply the tragic product of his times. He simply does not understand that compositional discipline is the eternal yardstick by which all Prime Ice works should be measured!
- Yarina: It's a good thing they sent the order to me. As a creator who has undergone artistic training in Snezhnograd, I have all along held myself to the standards of a Master.
- Yarina: And because of that, I cannot allow my... the good name of Prime Ice sculpture to be sullied, not even in the slightest.
- And so...?
- Yarina: So, I have corrected all the parts of that Larionov's works that had strayed from the morality of order, and have restored to them the necessary rigor and axial structural ethics.
- Paimon: There she goes again with that gobbledygook!
- What she means to say is, she's turned all the designs symmetrical.
- Paimon: Huh!? Is she even allowed to do that?
- Paimon: Why does Paimon get the feeling that... this is all about what she thinks "art" should be?
- Paimon: This is the first time Paimon's even heard the term "compositional discipline" here in Snezhnaya. After all this time.
- Probably because it's an idea that's already outdated.
- Yarina: Ha! Hold on, I can't help but find the way you two are speaking rather offensive.
- Yarina: Neither of you has actually gone to art school in Snezhnograd, have you??? Just how much do you even know about what goes on in Snezhnograd's art world!?
- Yarina: If you are going to pooh-pooh my philosophy, at the very least, you should... you should first prove to me that you know what "compositional discipline" actually means!
- Yarina: You simply have no idea what it is that I'm working so hard towards! *Sigh* Well, it so happens that... I have an order that hasn't been fulfilled yet right here.
- Yarina: Fine. Let's have a wager! Show me that you can apply compositional discipline to the work, and I'll gladly admit defeat. As for the stake... Hmm. I'll stake half of the job payment on this!
- Paimon: Whoa, looks like someone got mad... Are we gonna take her up on the bet, (Traveler)?
- Well, we are talking about a good half of the job payment here...
- Paimon: Heh heh, got it! Then let's show her what we've got!
- (After finishing the dialogue)
- Yarina: Order is restored! Glorious! Beauty is returned to us... and breath to my body...
- (Talk to Yarina again, optional)
- Yarina: Why, are you shying away from the wager?
- Of course not.
- Yarina: Then I look forward to seeing your handiwork.
- (If the Prime Ice is incorrectly placed or removed)
- Paimon: That doesn't look right. Let's try again, shall we?
- (If the wrong side of the Prime Ice is changed)
- Yarina: Hey, hey! Don't touch that! That's the part I already finished.
- Yarina: The part you ought to be working on is on this side. Make sure you keep things straight, now.
- (After completing the Prime Ice design)
- Yarina: What...? So the two of you... do understand what compositional discipline is after all!
- Yarina: Fine. I'm a woman of my word. Looks like I'm not the only one worthy of the title of Master here in Svetloledovka...
- (If the player haven't finished helping other artists)
-
- Yarina: I say, it would do well for the other designers in town to learn from you a little. Either they're into blind imitation, or they don't care about art at all. A good number of them have trouble making delivery on their orders, even...
- (Two Exquisite Chest spawns)
Zharkaya
- Zharkaya: Those Art Exhibition jobs are always such a headache. If there's one thing they're good at, it's turning a simple matter into a whole problem.
- Zharkaya: If anyone can just take care of this job for me, I'm more than happy to give them all the career honors I've received over the years.
- What's the matter?
- Zharkaya: Are you talking to me? As you can see, I am currently suffering through this pitifully paid job dressed up as "art."
- Zharkaya: I have here a job from the people at The Master exhibition in Snezhnograd. You can never say no to these Snezhnograd jobs, even though they're always technically demanding and pay very little for the trouble.
- Zharkaya: If I were to say no, they'd say, "Oh, but Zharkaya, this is a work that only an artist-tier designer like you can take on! We can't trust anyone else with it!"
- Zharkaya: "Artist"? After all these years, I finally understand that Prime Ice sculpting is nothing more than a job. So I'd rather they treat me as just another ordinary designer. And you know why?
- Why?
- Zharkaya: Because in the time I spend merely working out the structure of a "work of art" like this, I can easily finish five ordinary "non-art" jobs that pay exactly the same. Each.
- Paimon: That does sound like a bad deal for you!
- Zharkaya: That's right. So whenever I get a job like this, a saying popular among us Prime Ice designers comes to mind: "Art or a full belly, that is the question."
- I suppose Paimon would go for "a full belly."
- Paimon: Hey, hey, hey! If Paimon already has enough Mora, art is always an option, okay?
- I suppose "art" isn't a bad choice either.
- Paimon: Not at all! But first, we'll have to find someplace where we can make ourselves enough Mora.
- Zharkaya: Oh? In that case, I have a proposal that may interest you...
- Zharkaya: If the two of you can help me position the next block of Prime Ice, I'll gladly share half the payment for this job with you — and even relinquish to you the title of "Artist-Tier Designer."
- Zharkaya: That is to say, if the two of you are willing to spend some time helping me complete this job in the name of "art," I will provide you with material compensation in addition to the immense psychological satisfaction you will undoubtedly gain.
- Zharkaya: As for me, I'll be free to take on other jobs with the time you save me, and thus fill my belly.
- Paimon: Wow, (Traveler)! Paimon thinks she said "material compensation"...
- We do have a little expertise when it comes to "art," yes.
- Zharkaya: Wonderful. Then you are absolutely the right people for the job.
- Zharkaya: According to the job specifications, we'll have to place another block of Prime Ice on top. You may want to take a look at the illustration first before you get started.
- Order Illustration
- Order Illustration
- (Talk to Zharkaya again, optional)
- Zharkaya: Art or a full belly? That has never been the question. Oh, it's the two of you. Any ideas how to proceed with this "work of art"?
- I'd like to take a look at the illustration on the job order again.
- Zharkaya: It's right there on the plaque. Take a look whenever you like.
- Let me think about it again.
- Zharkaya: Good luck.
- (If the Prime Ice is incorrectly placed)
- Paimon: That doesn't look right. Let's try again, shall we?
- (After completing the illustration order)
- Zharkaya: Ah, wonderful. I see that you have completed the "work of art." Here is your payment.
- (If the player haven't finished helping other artists)
-
- Zharkaya: There are other designers around town who are probably also mired in "art-making" right now. If you want to earn more pocket change, you should take a walk around.
- (An Exquisite Chest unlocks)
Change History
Released in Version 7.0