Lee Berry Dennings

> Let me tell you, friend. True collecting's not for the faint of heart.
>
> Lee Berry Dennings

**Lee Berry Dennings** is a farmer, and the eighth bear the player meets after arriving on Cozy Grove Island. After several challenging requests for supplies, he opens a shop selling animals. He is a Farm Spirit, referred to as the Veggie Bear.

Lee's living area is located right next to player's main campground, on the west side.

## Appearance

Lee looks like an ear of corn with one kernel behind his right ear popped.

Lee's living area is very crowded, the following landmarks are located here: a barn full of stuff, an equipment shed, an old broken couch, a tractor, a rustic produce stand, some messy drawers, crates and baskets of produce and flowers, wheelbarrows, watering cans, buckets, piles of magazines, and tea pots. It can also have small wheat fields, plots, sheds, water towers, and windmills.

## Biography

Lee lives on his family farm and seems to be following in his parents' tradition in some ways, and not in others. He sometimes asks for help with projects inspired by things his parents used to do. He can be indecisive and has a tendency to change his mind about projects after asking for your help. Still, he is usually generous about rewarding you for your help, even if he changes his mind about what to do with the items he requested.

Octavia Cubbins mentions that he rarely leaves his garden, and at some point in the past Octavia's snorkel mask ended up in Lee's possession.

## Specialty

See **Beastly Charms & Curios** for more details.
Once the player completes Lee's fourth story quest, Lee opens his pet store, Beastly Charms & Curios. Four random pets are available to purchase at Lee's store daily. Lee will also buy most items from the player.

Any items purchased at Lee's store are sent to the player's mailbox at the start of the next game day.

## List of quests

Every day, Lee Berry Dennings has a chance to give the player a quest, provided he has no quest active. The quest can be started by speaking to Lee Berry Dennings.

If Lee Berry Dennings is ghostly blue and his area is not colored, he will give the player a story quest. If Lee Berry Dennings is colored but his area is not, he will give the player a daily quest. If both Lee Berry Dennings and his area are colored, he will not give any quests, but the player can still converse with him to listen to some gossip or occasionally advance his story.

Story quests are untimed and advance Lee Berry Dennings's story, allowing the player to learn more about him, fill his heart meter, and restore his memories. Some story quests require the player to collect a lot of resources or help other bears to get quest items. The story quests often give spirit logs as rewards.

Non-story quests have a time limit, do not provide any story development, and give random rewards. There are no penalties for letting a timed quest expire.

Some quests require the player to find items hidden on the island. The hidden objects spawn after the player accepts the quest, with hints on their location provided in the quest menu. If the player has trouble locating the item, they can get a hint from Charlotte Pine for 100.

### Daily quests

Every daily quest has a chance to give the player a spirit wood or a crafting recipe for a random decoration in addition to regular reward.

## Chat

Every day, when Lee Berry Dennings has no quest active, the player can chat with him for some random gossip. Lee Berry Dennings can give the player advice or tell a little about himself or other bears.

Chatting with Lee Berry Dennings does not advance his story.

After the player chats with Lee Berry Dennings once, they can ask him for a hug.

**Lee:** Hey there, friend. Come to unwind a bit?
I apologize, I don't have a porch set up with a rocking chair and lemonade.
I really should get that set up, though, shouldn't I?
A friendly porch as much makes a farm as the crops and the tractor, some say.
**Lee:** Now that I'm a ghost, I can puff away at my corn cob pipe with total impunity.
(Not that I would in the presence of someone who was alive, mind you.)
But friend, did you know: there's more to cob pipes than just corn? There's a whole *universe* of cobs out there!
Zuccini cob pipes. Ham sandwich cob pipes.
...
I'm going to stop saying 'cob' now.
**Lee:** You know the secret to running a farm well? I'll tell you, friend: breaks. Lots of 'em.
Tea. Maybe some cookies. Or toast with cheese.
Do you ever take breaks? Seems like I always see you crisscrossing the island in a very businesslike way.
I suppose that's fine for Spirit Scouting, but I can't imagine running a farm like that.
**Lee:** I like to test the nitrate levels in the soil on a regular basis. If they're too low, it could hurt the crop!
And if the crop is bad, I could lose the farm.
Hm. Actually I'm not sure if there are banks in the afterlife that would foreclose on the farm.
But I don't want to find out!
**Lee:** Hey there, friend. We've been having some *weather*, haven't we?
I don't mind *precipitation*. Rain, hail, even snow is ok with me. The more water the better.
Don't like the wind though. Blows away the good soil. *And* knocks my stuff over!
**Lee:** You Spirit Scouts are a generous bunch. Always puttin' yourself out just to help others.
Of course, a ghost *could* take advantage of that generosity. Could make you run around for their own personal gain.
If I see anyone like that, you'll be the first to know!
**Lee:** Let me tell you, friend. True collecting's not for the faint of heart.
You need a lot of storage space if you wanna hang onto everything. I suppose you could just leave stuff lyin' around the island...
...but when I tried that, the Ranger gave me a stern talkin'-to.
**Lee:** If you're hurtin' for space, try asking that campfire of yours about a tent upgrade.
It won't come cheap. But having the extra storage for all your crafting gear and knick-knacks? **Priceless.**
## Daily quest lines

### Animal food

Start:

**Lee:** It isn't easy keeping up with all the animals on a farm!
Get me some animal food, please?
**Lee:** Aw heck, I'm running low on animal feed again.
I don't want my babies to go hungry. Can you help me out?
End:

**Lee:** That should hit the spot for my little furbabies! Thanks!
**Lee:** That'll do just nicely!
Come on, little critters! It's feeding time!
### Animal photos

Start:

**Lee:** When you spend as much time on a porch as I do, and keep as many animals as I do, you get to notice things.
Why I bet I know more about the way a deer scratches at a tick than any deer or any tick!
That's *porch wisdom*, friend. Maybe it's time you went off and got some for yourself?
**Lee:** Not sure if you noticed, but I have quite the extensive photo collection. Somewhere between the old ketchup packets and the spare dowels.
Why not you sharpen up your photo skills with that camera, and we turn this into a win-win? Try to capture something *interesting*.
End:

**Lee:** And you're back! Find anything interesting?
*Lee squints at the photograph.*
Hoo-eee! Boy you sure do know how to catch 'em in the act don't ya?
**Lee:** Back already! Let's take a look.
Well isn't this a pretty picture! You know, I'm just gonna *have* to take it off your hands...
### Critter photos

Start:

**Lee:** No end of trouble, being a farmer. Every living pest, parasite, and hanger on as far as you can see is trying to swipe a bit of my crops.
And the smaller the animal, the more troublesome it is. A rabbit's worse than a deer. But a critter's worse than a rabbit!
Whole thing make me bristle. I don't suppose you would help me out, would you? If I could identify the pests, I might have a chance at shooing them away...
**Lee:** Oh hello there friend. You know, it's the darndest thing. All these critters buzzing around. And I don't know a thing about 'em!
I've got stacks of old *Island Geographic* magazines lying around.
Maybe if you could photograph some of the critters around here I could look 'em up and identify them?
End:

**Lee:** Hey look at that! Wow, you really caught him in the act didn't you?
Here, take this as a little make-good for your hard work. I've got plenty more in one of the sheds somewhere.
**Lee:** Let's see what you came up with.
Whoa nelly! Don't that beat all! *Yikes.*
Heck of a picture there, friend, I'll take it!
### Crystal

Start:

**Lee:** When you get to collecting as much stuff as I do, it's inevitable that at some point you invest in a *metal detector*.
Now now, don't get excited, friend. That thing is long gone! But, I do remember one of those clovers made the detector beep up a storm once upon a time. Never dug it up though.
You don't look too busy. Mind poking around for it?
End:

**Lee:** Well well well, isn't this something. I know just the place for *this*.
I appreciate your honesty--you could have just pocketed the darn thing! Here's a little something from the farm...
### Lee's things

Start:

**Lee:** I'm having one of those days.
There's only so much I can do to keep track of all my stuff. It keeps disappearing on me.
I made a list of what I can't seem to find. Help me track it down, would you?
**Lee:** A strong wind knocked some of my belongings clear across the island!
I can't rest until I find everything again. Please help!
End:

**Lee:** I knew it! I knew those trouble-making things had run off!
Now my stuff is right where it belongs... safe and sound on my farm.
One good deed deserves another. Go ahead and take these. I have at least five extras!
**Lee:** My stuff! You found it!
I can't thank you enough, friend. Please, take this!
### More of Lee's things

Start:

**Lee:** Something's gone missing from the farm again.
Sometimes I think that folks have been stealing from me, but I know I'm just disorganized.
**Lee:** I just can't seem to stop losing track of stuff.
Pens. Keys. Carburetors...
And now this! Could I trouble you to lend a hand?
End:

**Lee:** Hooray! Thanks for helping me!
I'll find just the right pile to toss this onto.
**Lee:** You're a real friend, friend!
Now to just lock this away where it can't wander off again.
### Mysterious statues

Start:

**Lee:** Hey friend, you know those **mysterious disappearing statues** you sometimes see around the island?
I musta lost some supplies near one of 'em. Would you go looking for me?
**Lee:** Rumor is, there's some kind of secret stash hidden in those disappearing statues.
Boy, if only I could get my paws on it! Bet it'd really come in handy in an emergency.
End:

**Lee:** Well, call me a rooster in riding boots! I owe you for this, friend!
**Lee:** Yessir and/or ma'am, that's just what I was looking for!
Better go add this one to the pile! Thanks, friend!
## Mementos

Spoiler alertThis article or section contains **spoilers**. Proceed with caution!
1. *Lee Berry Dennings, the Veggie Bear, is interested in recovering some old family heirlooms. That sounds straight-forward enough...*
2. *Lee's animal problem is your animal opportunity. But maybe he'd attract fewer critters if he cleaned up around the place?*
3. *It's hard to believe such an obsessive collector could come from such austere parents. At least he's pretty cool about giving deadly weapons to children.*
4. *Lee remains haunted by the 'bad old days,' when crop failure and famine struck his family's farm. The lean times eventually ended, but the scars remained.*
5. *This fixation with Lee's mom's ceramic carrots is getting a little weird.*
6. *Lee keeps dreaming about a blob that consumes everything in its path. You don't yet have a merit badge in Dream Analysis, though, so it could mean anything.*
7. *An old photo of the family farm takes Lee by surprise, as he realizes how neat and orderly his parents once kept things.*
8. *Alas, poor Lee. The memories are flooding back now as he remembers his own demise, crushed under his own collection.*
9. *Lee Berry Dennings has made a clean start, giving away almost all of his possessions. He might have some growing to do yet to truly get over his hoarding, but he wouldn't have reached this point without you.*

The comic attached to the fourth memento.The comic attached to the seventh memento.The comic attached to the ninth memento.
## Story quests expanded

### Ceramic carrot

Lee introduces himself to the player and asks them for a favor.

**Lee:** I've seen the spirit fire, and I've heard the rumors...
...and now here you are, alive and well, standing in my flower garden!
Well then. Lee Berry Dennings is my name. Pleasure to meet you.
Let's get down to it. Word is, you've got a natural talent for *finding things*.
As it happens, this farm of mine is notorious for making stuff *up and vanish*!
Lamps, books, flags, toasters, hats, belts, receipts...
...canned olives, canned ham, canned shampoo...
Had 'em all and lost 'em all. Darnedest thing.
Long ago, an old **ceramic carrot** used to hang above our sink, back when I was a kid.
Little Lee (that was **me** of course) used to wonder why mom kept it there.
But she did. And it was always there. Until it wasn't.
Be a pal, would you? Bring that **carrot** to me if you see it.
Lee's ceramic carrot can be found hidden on the island. After the player delivers it, Lee hands them a spirit wood.

**Lee:** Hmm. I think that's the one.
Hard to tell one vegetable from another, even when you're part vegetable yourself!
Thanks, friend. I'll hang this over my kitchen sink where it belongs.
**If** I can clear a path to the kitchen, that is...
You see, my house has gotten a bit *cluttered* recently.
What can I say? I like *my stuff*.
You keep bringing it to me, and I'll make it worth your while.
This also unlocks Lee's first memory.

### Lots of random stuff

Lee has prepared a list of thing for the player to find.

**Lee:** Hey friend! Great to see you, great to see you!
I've worked up a list of things for you to go searching for.
Gotta warn you, it's a long one!
**Scout:** Helping ghosts earns me merit badges... so no problem!
**Lee:** Oh, this is merit-worthy work, for certain.
**Scout:** I'm a Spirit Scout, not a gopher.
**Lee:** Oh. Huh. Maybe that reputation of yours is a bit misleading.
You help ghosts like me remember and confront our pasts, right?
**Scout:** Are you sure you need all this stuff?
**Lee:** All the items I want represent... important memories... to me.
You know! Memories. From being alive and all.
I just happen to be attached to more... memories... than most folks.
And listen, you never know what's hiding in my huge collection of things.
I might be able to give you something valuable in return!
This quest requires the player to collect a number of items:

* 3 common decorations can be crafted or purchased from Kit's Canteen;
* 15 roasted root vegetables are made by burning any raw root vegetable;
* 3 spirit imp essences can be obtained by helping imps, fishing, or as quest rewards;
* 3 rare shells can be gathered on the beach.

After the player collects everything and speaks to Lee again, he gives them a spirit wood and a scout book page for Charlotte.

**Lee:** Oh boy. This should keep me stocked for weeks!
Stocked on important memories, that is.
I bet you don't get much gratitude for all the *memories* you lug around, huh?
Do other bears just throw a log in your direction and send you on your way?
**Scout:** Nah, they're pretty nice about it. / No one appreciates what I do!
**Lee:** Well, old Lee is going to do you one better.
I pulled together a carefully curated box of jun- er, **supplies**, as a thank you.
Take this loose page, for instance. Do I know what book it came from? No.
Will it mean anything to you out of context? Probably not.
But it's printed on great paper! That's got to come in handy someday.
**Everything** comes in handy eventually, if you hold onto it for long enough.
...Hmmm. Maybe I should keep that page after all?
Nope, nope, I'm a bear of my word. Take it. I have enough paper.
...I think?
### Master shovel

Lee noticed the player digging holes and offers them his master shovel in exchange for some materials.

**Lee:** I've seen you going around digging holes, friend.
That's a decent shovel you have there...
Decent... but I think you can do better.
Take a gander at this. The **master shovel**.
Perfect for digging trenches to put piles of stuff in.
I'd lend you mine... but I only have seven of these puppies. What if six break?
Here. Get the items from my list, and I'll trade that old pro shovel of yours for a master.
Lee asks for twenty iron ingots, five silver ingots, and one gold ingot. Ingots can be obtained by burning ore mined using a pickaxe or from crafting. After the player collects the materials, they can speak to Lee again to get a spirit wood and a master shovel.

**Lee:** Oh yes. Those are some truly cherished and useful memories! Give 'em over.
This pro shovel may not be as strong or tough as the master I'm giving you...
...but it'll still be great for shoveling my stuff around!
I've gotta create new piles every week or so. You know, to prevent the old piles of stuff from toppling over.
Anyway, enjoy digging up things with your new shovel.
I'll be hanging around here! With my stuff.
### Lee's Charms and Curios

Lee has discovered a pest problem with his food supplies.

**Lee:** Hey there, friend! Have a moment to spare?
I found some worrisome holes in my food supply recently.
Looked like some kind of *animal* got into them.
Downright strange. Usually all the pests stay in my pest sheds.
I wrote up a list of the stuff I lost.
Help me replenish my stores, and you'll have my everlasting thanks!
The player needs to gather twenty toasted nut flour, twenty mixed greens, and twenty lots of roasted fruit. After the player delivers the food, Lee tells them he solved the pest mystery.

**Lee:** What a bumper crop! Thanks, friend.
I solved the mystery of the pests, by the way.
Turns out a whole bunch of **animal charms** were packed away in Mom and Pop's boxes.
What with all the *activity* around the island, those critters started puffing up into full-blown **ghost animals**.
Looks like they were trying to chew their way out from my storage shed. Or they were hungry. Who knows?
Either way, your old pal Lee Berry is in the *livestock business* now!
My selection is excellent, my prices are more than fair.
Stop by to buy an *animal* any time, friend.
Lee gifts the player a random young pet. Completing this quest also unlocks Lee's pet shop, Beastly Charms & Curios. The shop can be accessed anytime by talking to Lee.

### Master pickaxe

Lee wants to dig some tunnels underground to expand his storage space.

**Lee:** Can I get your opinion on something, friend?
Do you think my farm is looking a little *overstuffed*?
**Scout:** Yes.
**Scout:** What's a word stronger than yes?
**Lee:** Oof. That bad, huh?
**Lee:** You know, I might just agree with you. And I think I see the problem...
I'm keeping everything *above ground*! All horizontal, no vertical.
I vaguely remember some storage tunnels underneath the property.
And, uh... there's probably some real important *memories* stashed in those old tunnels.
You want to help me recover all my old memories, right?
Well, with the right tools, I could excavate those tunnels.
Here's a list of what I need. Please and thank you!
Lee asks the player to bring him the following materials: eight relic ashes, twenty branches, twenty iron ingots, and the player's metal pickaxe. After the player collects everything and talks to Lee, he gives them his spare master pickaxe and a grog mug.

**Lee:** Welcome back, friend! I'll just take those tools and supplies off your hands, thanks!
By the way, while you were out gathering for me, I had a genuine recollection.
I remembered that a long while back, I already squirreled away a set of **master pickaxes**.
Sorry to waste your time and all.
Least I can do now is give you one of my pickaxes.
It's top-of-the-line and will shatter the toughest rocks. You deserve it, friend.
I'll keep the supplies you brought me... I'm sure I'll need them at some point!
This also unlocks Lee's third memory.

### Master machete

Lee wants to try making collages and needs some supplies and a tool to cut with.

**Lee:** Hey friend. I've been thinking about redecorating a bit.
Mom and Pop would approve. They were into minimalist artwork, you know.
But they sold everything they owned that year the crop didn't come in.
If it wasn't for that, our walls wouldn't have been so empty.
So as soon as I got the chance, I loaded up on some minimalist art.
I'll never have to look at blank walls again... not on **this** farm!
Now I'm wondering if I could I make my *own* art? Maybe a collage?
Mom was an artsy type, always making cute knicknacks. Maybe I got some of those genes in me.
You'd be up for helping me develop my skills, wouldn't you?
**Scout:** Sure, that seems in the spirit of scouting!
**Lee:** Helpful **and** good with puns! I love it.
**Scout:** I don't know... will this really help you find inner peace?
**Lee:** Sure it will! You can't be at peace if you're not happy with who you are.
**Lee:** With a farm this full of goodies, I guarantee I can make it worth your while, friend!
Here's a list of what I need. Just some supplies, and something to cut with.
Lee request ten silver ingots, thirty hardwood, fifty softwood, and the player's metal machete. After the player collects everything, they can deliver the materials to Lee to get a master machete and a snorkel mask for Octavia's quest.

**Lee:** That's the stuff, friend!
Now, let me sharpen this machete up a bit...
Done! It's a **masterpiece** in cutlery now. Ready to slice through darn near anything!
Now, where to start with this collage... my bamboo? My shells? Some old pictures?
...You know... I don't really like the thought of cutting up my things.
Just the thought of it is making me nervous.
What if the pieces don't fit together the way I want? What a waste that would be...
You know what, friend? Take this **master machete** back. It's my gift.
Want a couple other odds and ends? A snorkel mask, maybe? Take that too!
Just do me a favor, and keep that blade away from my stuff.
### More ceramic carrots

Lee asks the player to bring him more ceramic carrots to ease his worries.

**Lee:** I keep looking at that ridiculous carrot you brought me a while back.
What is the point of a ceramic carrot, anyways?
And is it really the same carrot from my childhood, or just a knock-off?
What if I lose it again?
There's only one solution to all those different questions. *More carrots*!
Put my mind at ease, friend. Do a little carrot-hunting for me?
One ceramic carrot can be received from Octavia, two other can be purchased at Kit's Canteen and Wolf Goods for 10,000 each. When the player delivers the carrots to Lee, he gives them an adult deer and one of DuClaw statues for Francesca.

**Lee:** Wow. These are even uglier than the first carrot you brought me!
Then again, that old hanging carrot of ours was ugly as sin...
I'll hang them all up together. See if that brings back any recollections of the good old days.
Oh, and one good deed deserves another, doesn't it?
Here... take this trouble-making deer that got loose from my pen.
He bit and ran off with an old statue of mine, and darn near kicked me when I tried to take it back.
You know what? You can take the statue too.
Normally I'd be reluctant to let it go, but, well, it's kinda covered in deer spit.
The next day Lee shares one of his memories with the player.

**Lee:** Friend, I'll level with you... your help hasn't brought back any good memories for me.
In fact, lately I can't stop thinking about the bad old days.
The year our crops failed...
There were no more evenings on the porch. No pleasant sunsets.
Pop would pace by the door while the sun set on our bare fields.
We'd shuffle inside, light a single light, and listen to Mom and Pop argue.
Worst kind of arguments. The pointless, desperate type.
**Should we cook up one can of peas, or splurge on two?**
Pop would count the remaining cans when we were done. **We're running out,** he would keep saying.
I asked him, once, what we'd do if the last can vanished.
He didn't answer. Just looked at me for what felt like a very long time.
I'll tell you, his eyes were a sight scarier than anything he could've said.
**Scout:** That sounds really tough.
**Scout:** Did you run out of food?
**Lee:** Not quite. But I remember seeing the last couple of cans alone in that big empty pantry.
**Lee:** You might think I have too much stuff here on Dennings Farm.
But friend, I remember what it feels like *not having anything*.
You can never have too much, you know?
This unlocks Lee's fourth memory and comic.

A few days later Lee gives the player a piece of tile.

**Lee:** Yesterday I had the darnedest time finding my own front door...
I got turned around between my turnip stack and my tower of old microwaves.
To get my bearings, I climbed up a pile of old pipes, nails and screws. I barely avoided tetanus.
Maybe it's time for me to do a bit of cleaning?
Figuring out what to part with is usually difficult. But *one* choice is easy.
This here rock has always felt unlucky to me.
I could swear I already gave it away to that Tram fellow.
But bad stones like this have a way of turning up again...
You seem like someone who can turn bad luck into good. So here you go!
### Imp food

Lee has a problem with imps on his farm.

**Lee:** I'm not going to beat around the bush, friend... the farm's in trouble today.
I was turning over an old pile of blankets and pickle jars when I saw **imps**.
I'd venture a guess you know what *that* portends.
**Scout:** It can't be good. / Imps? They're harmless.
**Lee:** Those imps are born *coveters*. Always thirsty for a drink from someone else's well.
They'll pick so many holes in my collection that the sun will shine right through.
**Scout:** What can I do to help?
**Scout:** Maybe a smaller collection isn't so bad?
**Lee:** This isn't the time for downsizing, friend! It's time to defend my castle.
**Lee:** Now, you know me. I favor the *carrot* over the stick.
Maybe with enough **imp food**, we could lure them elsewhere?
Lee wants the player to bring him a lot of food: 35 mixed greens, 30 roasted root vegetables, 30 lots of roasted fruit, and 30 toasted nut flour. After the player delivers the food, Lee gives them a spirit wood and a red letter for Patrice.

**Lee:** That's a lot of imp food!
It reminds me of stuff my Mom used to make for the county fair. Starchy, salty, sweet, sizzled in oil.
She'd never fail to sell out of those fritters.
I was going to use these as bait to lure out the imps, but... what if I just kept them instead?
And I've got something in return for you, friend.
I found a strange **red letter** poking out of my mail pile. No adddress on it.
Maybe the imps nabbed it from someone else? I'm sure you'll figure it out.
### More imps

The food has apparently not kept the imps at bay.

**Lee:** The imps aren't going away. I see more and more of them wandering onto my property.
I've heard animals are good at scattering imps, but when I let my animals loose, they just run for the hills.
Never you worry. Lee Berry Dennings is cooking up solutions.
All I need is a big heap of **ghost animal feed**.
Lee wants more food from the player to feed his animals: 10 of any basic cooked food, 10 roasted fruit, 20 roasted root vegetables, and 5 toasted nut flour. Once delivered, Lee will reward the player with a spirit wood and a cool rock.

**Lee:** Oh, you brought that animal feed! Thank you, thank you...
Friend, I have to come clean here. Circumstances have changed a bit.
You see, I've been observing those imps, and not a one of them has nabbed my goods.
They just sit and admire the scenery!
Honestly, it's a pleasure to see folks appreciate the Dennings Farm for what it is.
So... I'm going to let those imps be.
The animal food will still come in handy, I'm sure.
Now, let me see what I can give you for your trouble.
...
Uh, how about this here **rock**?
Yeah, I know. Not my finest reward. But look here, friend... Dennings Farm is a gamble.
Sometimes you pull a real gem... and sometimes, you just pull a rock.
### Even more ceramic carrots

Lee wants to find the exact ceramic carrot his mother had.

**Lee:** There's a lot to admire on this farm. But I keep coming back to those *ceramic carrots*.
The one Mom hung over the sink always made a little clinking noise against the window.
Drove me nuts! Still, none of the carrots I've got look or sound quite right.
Ten ceramic carrots are hidden on the island. Once the player collects them and brings to Lee, Lee decides to keep them until he figures out which carrot is real.

**Lee:** Aha! This carrot has a smudge on the left leaf, and a spot where the varnish chipped off.
That's got to be mom's! So it's time to hang this one and take down the others.
Except... they're all a little chipped and smudged.
Is it possible that mom's original carrot broke, and she replaced it without us knowing?
I have to figure out which carrot is the real deal!
The *real* carrot must be good luck. The rest are just... **junk**.
The player receives a spirit wood as a reward and unlocks Lee's fifth memory.

When the player talks to Lee again a few days later, Lee tells them he has been having nightmares.

**Lee:** You ever have strange dreams, friend?
**Scout:** Constantly.
**Lee:** Then you can sympathize with me.
**Scout:** My waking life is weird enough.
**Lee:** Isn't that the truth!
**Scout:** Are you having trouble sleeping?
**Lee:** Honestly, I never thought of myself as the nightmare-having type.
I'll go the longest time not dreaming anything at all, and then, *schlorp.*
**Scout:** 'Schlorp'?? / I don't like where this is headed...
**Lee:** In my dream I saw it. A big ol' blob, schlorping up the road.
It swallowed up the farm, the house... everything my parents owned.
I thought it might be one of those high-handed 'metaphors'.
You know, my unconscious mind dragging up bad memories from the famine...
But I don't know. It feels different somehow.
### Big collection

Lee's things keep disappearing.

**Lee:** Somebody's still stealing my stuff!
I'm at my wit's end with it. If the imps aren't the culprits, then who is?
All my childhood things got swiped this time. A lot of memories tied up in those...
Here, I made a list of all the stuff that's missing.
I'll wait for you here, just in case those thieves come back.
Lee gives the player a crafting recipe for a random common item from the farmhouse set. The items he asks for are: 9 farmhouse decorations, 5 joyous deer essence, 10 relic ash, and 10 joyous bird essence. Once the player collects all the items and delivers them to Lee, Lee will gift them a spirit wood and a motorcycle key for Valentina.

**Lee:** That's everything! You're a true professional, you know that, friend?
That feeling when something's missing... when you don't know if you'll ever get it back...
It keeps me up at night.
By the way, while you were out, I was neatening up my bottle collection and I found something out of place in it.
Someone out there's missing the keys to their hog. Maybe you can get it back to them?
### The motherlode

Lee has a special item for the player, but wants something in return.

**Lee:** The shoe's on the other foot now. This time *I* got something exciting for *you*!
**Scout:** Ooooh gimme gimme! / What's the catch?
**Lee:** This one's valuable. It hurts my soul to even *think* of parting with it.
You're going to need to bring me an *awful lot* before I can hand it over...
Lee requests the following items: nine uncommon decorations, 50 tins of flower pigment, 50 roasted root vegetables, and 250 quartz gemstone. Once the player delivers the items to Lee, Lee rewards them with a spirit wood and a steering wheel for Captain Billweather Snout.

**Lee:** Hoooeeey! Look at all this! I've hit the motherlode this time!
Um, I mean... thank you kindly for bringing me these much-needed provisions.
I can't wait to get these items into my stacks! But first, a deal's a deal...
Here, t-take-- <wheeze> take this, before I lose my nerve.
There! Ha! See? I can part with stuff!
I...just please don't make me do it again...
A few days later Lee tells the player he had the same nightmare again.

**Lee:** I had that dream again. The big blob, schlorping up everything I care about.
**Scout:** What do you think it means?
**Lee:** Friend, I have no idea.
**Scout:** I think I see a pattern to this.
**Lee:** Yeah? Wish I did, too.
**Scout:** Can we stop saying 'schlorp' please?
**Lee:** Why? Perfectly fine word, 'schlorp.' It is what it sounds like!
Just... *schlooooorp.*
Anyway, the dream's gotten even weirder lately.
**Lee:** This time when the blob was rolling up the road, I got a better look at it.
It seemed like it had a lot of stuff inside it. *My* stuff.
My books, my animals, my priceless toaster ovens...
And on it rolled, swallowing up the fences, the barn, Mom and Pop. And then finally me.
I don't know, friend. I thought this dream was a metaphor for the lean years...
...back when we almost lost everything. But this feels like something even worse.
**Scout:** Maybe it's related to your death?
**Lee:** I don't know. I'm just a humble bear who lived a humble life.
**Scout:** Maybe the lean years scarred you more than you think?
**Lee:** What are you, my therapist?
Everyone has hard times. I survived mine well enough.
**Lee:** Maybe the dream's a message. Like some good advice I've been ignoring.
Something like, *'Clean up the farm before it collapses under its own weight!'*
This conversation unlocks Lee's sixth memory.

### A photo

Lee wants something to help him remember how his parents' farm looked.

**Lee:** I wonder what the Dennings farm used to look like back in the day.
Before we had to sell everything off, I mean.
 remember Mom's paintings, and the carrot, but not much else.
**Scout:** Do you keep any old photos around?
**Lee:** Oh, *tons*. Baby photos, yearbook photos, vacation photos...
...but I can't think of any that just showed the farm!
**Scout:** Need me to find you a memento?
**Lee:** I wasn't angling for another favor there, honest!
But now that you mention it...
**Lee:** Maybe somebody on the island has an old **photo** of this place?
The photo of Lee can be received from Arjun Bhalla after completing one of his story quests. Once the player brings it back to Lee, Lee gives them a spirit wood.

**Lee:** Whoa, is this a **photo of the old farm**?
It looks so different. No old tractor parts lying around, no stacks of newspapers everywhere...
Even the hay bales look neat and tidy. It's downright... picturesque!
I guess Mom and Pops ran this place like a tight ship. How about that...
This unlocks Lee's seventh memory and comic.

### A skull

Lee says he has lost something very important and asks the player to find it.

**Lee:** Now I've done it. I've lost something really important this time.
**Scout:** The deed to the farm? / A family heirloom?
**Scout:** A pad of butter and some salt?
**Lee:** This is no time for corny jokes, friend!
Something's missing in all this mess and I *need* it.
**Lee:** I don't rightly know what it is, exactly, but I know it's important! I feel it in my **bones**.
Please, would you help me look around the farm?
The item Lee is looking for is a bear skull. Once the player finds it and brings it back to Lee, Lee tells them about his hoarding and how he died.

**Lee:** You found a bear skull?
Huh. I can... feel it.
This is *my* skull.
I... remember everything now. How I died, the whole shebang.
Even after the famine ended, we never really got our lives back to normal.
I kept wondering, *'What if it all happens again?'*
*'What if one day I'm opening my last can of peas, and there aren't more where it came from?'*
When Mom and Pop passed away and I inherited the farm... something changed in me.
I started obsessing about the basics. Like having extra food squirreled away.
Then it was other stuff. Mail, newspapers, old microwaves. Straight up junk!
Because I *might need it someday*. You understand?
Eventually the piles got so big, they crowded out everything else. Including me.
One particularly big, heavy pile teetered and fell... and I got crushed beneath it.
...Nobody found my body for two weeks.
That's what my collection got me in the end. Not security. Just my own undoing.
**Scout:** You shouldn't blame yourself for that.
**Lee:** ...
**Scout:** I might hoard stuff too if I nearly lost everything I had.
**Lee:** More than *nearly*.
**Lee:** We actually **did** completely run out of food at one point, you know.
I didn't know it at the time.
While us kids were playing, and Pop was worrying himself to death, Mom saved us.
She was an active part of our community. She swallowed her pride and asked friends for help.
Pop would have let us all starve before doing that.
But Mom knew that stuff alone couldn't get us through life.
*People* do that. **Friends** do that. Like you.
The player is rewarded with a spirit wood and unlocks Lee's eighth memory.

Several days later Lee wants to tell the player the news.

**Lee:** Hey there, Spirit Scout! Notice anything different today?
**Scout:** The farm looks... emptier than before?
**Lee:** That's right! I've been cleaning up the place non-stop.
**Scout:** You've... lost weight?
**Lee:** I sure *feel* lighter!
**Lee:** I realize now that all my stuff was just holding me back.
So, no more! I'm giving it all away! Just look at how much I've gotten rid of already!
It's like I can breathe again! Even though I don't need to!
Thank you for helping me take this step. Here's to the new, minimalist Veggie Bear!
**Scout:** That's great!
**Lee:** I don't know how I can ever repay you.
**Scout:** Now the real work begins.
**Lee:** Yep. I still have a loooot of hauling ahead of me.
**Scout:** So do I get a badge now?
**Lee:** Aw, that's Spirit Scout business. I wouldn't know a thing about it.
Besides, if I had any badges, they're all gone now!
**Lee:** Oh, and guess what- I finally figured out the deal with Mom's ceramic carrots.
She used to make those and give them out as gifts!
That's why there were so many of them. She made sure all our friends and family had at least one.
Mom wasn't much of an artist, but she knew a thing or two about relationships...
Well, listen, I've got to get back to cleaning up around here.
Next time you come by, there might even be room for you to sit down and rest a spell.
The player is rewarded with a spirit wood and unlocks Lee's ninth and final memory. Lee ascends and turns golden, his area will stay permanently lit and colored. Lee will no longer give the player story quests; however, he will still occasionally give the player daily quests.

## Version history

* 3.1.0: Bears will now only have one piece of gossip per day.
* 3.0.0: Added daily photo quest.
* 2.0.0: Added the option to hug Lee Berry Dennings after chatting with him twice. Added mysterious crystal daily quest.