Anzhela Tomanovna

Irina left Anzhela a letter following her abdication. It is included here, as well as the riddle of the Helga:

Anzhela
I know you are wondering why I instructed you not to open this box until Midsummer. I know that because I too wondered when Olga gave me a similar instruction. I suspect that you, like me, stared at the box with curiosity begging you to take a peek. However, if you are the right person for Great Mother, then you pushed that curiosity away, though not without some irritation at me.

I have no doubt you are the right person, by the way.

People often call the Great Mother the soul of Periaslavl. In this box you will find the soul of the Great Mother. Each of us writes a letter to her successor, starting with Helga Mikhailovna herself. Every one of us, except of course Alisa Iosefnovna, placed a letter in here. You will read all of them, and you will see that all of us give much the same advice. It is good advice. I heeded it, and you should too—but you will anyway.

What you wonder most, I think, is when and how to choose your Great Daughter. You have just completed three of the busiest, most stressful months of your life. A Great Daughter would certainly ease your burden, as you did mine.

Of course, that requires you to know what is needed in the next Great Mother. How will you know? Helga was a wise woman, and she gave much thought to this problem. She felt that choosing a Great Daughter should not happen too quickly in a Great Mother’s reign, and that the choice should have certain qualities. Yes, Rurik's Pyre must recognize the choice, but what will the pyre look for? When she came up with an answer, she decided to pass it on to all of us.

I should now mention that she adored the riddle tradition common now only in Svellheim and in the Seven Kingdoms, though once very popular here. She wrote us a riddle we must answer. It frustrated Olga, it frustrated me, and it will frustrate you, but only when you have answered every portion of the riddle will you be ready to choose the right person. Then you have to hope that person comes along soon.

The box holds its own magic and keeps its contents as well preserved as one could hope, given that some are nearly 140 decades old. Be careful opening it too often, lest these treasures become brittle and turn to dust. I copied the riddle out so I could look at Helga’s words whenever I wished. Hide the copy, though, and do not let anyone see it, even your Husbands. I gave my copy to the pyre when I had memorized the riddle.

The riddle holds our soul. Answer it wisely.

Irina Ivanovna, 18 Joymoon, 2111 IR

The Riddle