Ben Hiberneczek

> Ah, friend. I'm a simple bear. All I want is an Oscar, a Pulitzer, and a Nobel. Also, a perfect physique. And a gold toilet. Is that too much to ask?
>
> Ben Hiberneczek

**Ben Hiberneczek** is a bear the player meets after arriving on Cozy Grove island. He is one of the four bears introduced in New Neighbears DLC. Ben is a Farm Spirit that occupies Bruin Tram's area after Bruin ascends.

## Appearance

Ben is a dark brown cat wearing silver framed glasses and a bow tie. He has a clock face with two arrows on the front. Ben's design is reminiscent of a Kit-Cat Klock.

The following landmarks are located in Ben's area: a giant cat tower, an old farm cottage, a vintage calculator, a few old armchairs, filing cabinets, clocks, and a windmill.

## Biography

StubThis article or section is a stub. You can help Cozy Grove Wiki by expanding it.
## List of quests

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

If Ben Hiberneczek is ghostly blue and his area is not colored, he will give the player a story quest. If Ben Hiberneczek is colored but his area is not, he will give the player a daily quest. If both Ben Hiberneczek 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 Ben Hiberneczek'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 crafting recipe for a random decoration in addition to regular reward.

## Chat

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

Chatting with Ben Hiberneczek does not advance his story.

After the player chats with Ben Hiberneczek once, they can ask him for a hug.

**Ben:** Ah, friend. I'm a simple bear.
All I want is a good meal, a roof over my head, a 10 acre garden, a fountain full of cabernet sauvignon, and a hovercraft.
Is that too much to ask?
**Ben:** Ah, friend. I'm a simple bear.
All I want is health, friendship, financial stability, fashionable shoes, eternal life, a private coral reef, and a new set of wishes every week or so.
Is that too much to ask?
**Ben:** Ah, friend. I'm a simple bear.
All I want is my own private starship manufacturing company that can send me to Mars in my lifetime.
Is that too much to ask?
**Ben:** Ah, friend. I'm a simple bear.
All I want is an Oscar, a Pulitzer, and a Nobel. Also, a perfect physique. And a gold toilet.
Is that too much to ask?
## Daily quest lines

Start:

**Ben:** Hey there, friend! Your buddy Ben's got a bit of a problem.
The kittens won't touch their fish. But they're clearly hungry.
I have a feeling they want critters for dinner...
End:

**Ben:** Ah, to be a cat, and to want nothing more than a plate full of gross bugs to eat.
What a life!
## Mementos

Spoiler alertThis article or section contains **spoilers**. Proceed with caution!
1. *Ben had a large family in life, and is drowning in cute kittens now. He seems to feel that this is holding him back.*
2. *Ben had two best friends, Katya and Mitchell.*
3. *Ben's wife, Mitzi, didn't care about status symbols. She wanted a symbol of long-term dedication.*
4. *Ben is obsessed with building an afterlife home that is 'good enough' for his wife. He also believes she has ascended. He does not seem to recognize the contradiction there.*
5. *The root of Ben's issues reveals itself. He passed on a chance to start a business with his best friends, and his regret is palpable.*
6. *Katya's mansion made Ben feel envious and ashamed.*
7. *Ben is shocked to learn that one of his children has held a grudge against him for many years. How can that be, when Ben worked obsessively to provide for his family?*
8. *Oh, Ben. You're so close. You finally understand the beautiful gift that your family was and is. It's never 'too late' to appreciate it.*

The comic attached to the second memento.The comic attached to the sixth memento.The comic attached to the eighth memento.
## Story quests expanded

### Gold ingots

Ben introduces himself.

**Ben:** Hello there, newfound friend! You must be The Scout.
I heard about you through the grapevine, but thought I might be *too late* for a meet-and-greet. Maybe my luck is finally turning around?
You're the talk of the afterlife, you know that don't you?
All these golden bears who've found everlasting peace... I just had to see it for myself!
How did you do it? How'd you take your neighbors from blue to gold?
**Scout:** It took a lot of patience and hard work!
**Ben:** Well, they were lucky to have a hard worker like you on their side!
**Scout:** They found peace themselves. I just listened.
**Ben:** Ah, you're a modest one. Of course you are.
**Ben:** I've got a fine feeling, friend. This is the place for me!
All I need to do is to lay a solid foundation, and I'll be moving right in.
The player needs to find three gold ingots hidden on the island and bring them to Ben.

**Ben:** Friend, you've always had the golden touch, haven't you?
What a foundation this will make! No more wood, brick and plaster for this old ghost.
Me oh my. I do hope this turns out better than my *last* venture.
Ah well, here goes nothing!
Ben gives the player a rare pearl as a reward.

### Hardwood

Ben asks the player to bring him some wood for repairs.

**Ben:** Oh no no no, friend! Look away!
This place of mine popped into existence in quite a state of disrepair.
I've got myself a *fixer-upper*. A *work-in-progress*.
Ahhh, who am I kidding, friend... it's just a regular old eyesore.
**Scout:** Looks pretty nice to me!
**Ben:** You're embarrassingly kind.
**Scout:** It just looks a little... well loved?
**Ben:** Hoo boy, if this is what love looks like...
**Scout:** What can I do to help?
**Ben:** That's a bona fide offer, isn't it? Well, I'm speechless.
**Ben:** I haven't gotten a lot of help in my life. Usually have to fix things all myself.
Look at that patio. Jeremy Gruffle would never have ascended if he'd had floorboards this uneven!
Could you help me find some decent wood so I can set this straight?
Ben asks for 15 hardwood and 30 softwood. Once the player delivers him the materials, Ben rewards them with three recipes for crafting random decorations.

**Ben:** I knew you'd come through!
These are good logs. Barely a termite in sight.
But even hardwood rots with enough time. The window of opportunity is closing fast!
If I want to be the *envy of the neighborhood*, I'd better get to work.
### Cat problems

Ben has an unforeseen problem.

**Ben:** Let me ask you a question, friend.
Did any of your other friendly ghosts have *issues* with their property?
**Scout:** Lee Berry Dennings nearly got swallowed by his farm. / Valentina was always worried about keeping the town 'perfect.' / Clyde destroyed Cozy Grove... does that count?
**Ben:** Well, I have a whopper of a *kitten infestation*. And it's just as adorable as it sounds.
A mother cat and a dozen kittens, meowing and preening and rolling all over each other.
I found them under the floorboards, and let me tell you, they are *blisteringly* cute.
I was a family man, back in life. I had three sweet cubs.
Now a family is a wonderful thing. But when you're responsible for little ones, there's *no time* to accomplish anything.
And here I am, tied down again.
Seems like no matter how much I feed these kittens, they're always hungry.
Cats eat rodents, right? Maybe rodent essence will satisfy them?
Ten rodent essences of any age are required to complete the quests. When the player gives the essences to Ben, he rewards them with magic hairballs.

**Ben:** Great! This should keep the kittens happy. For a while, anyways.
I've gotta tell you, friend, I thought you and I would build a great estate here on Cozy Grove.
Crafting corinthian columns out of marble and topiary gardens out of rare gems.
But nope, instead I've got you out searching for cat food.
Just my luck.
And I don't have much to offer in return. Hope you don't mind getting paid in hairballs?
The next day Ben asks the Scout to promise to help him go gold.

**Ben:** Let's face facts, my friend. I got here *too late*.
Look at all my neighbors. Living in ascended bliss.
Of course they are! They got a head start. Prime locations.
When I saw this empty lot hit the ethereal market, I jumped on it.
But did I pony up for a Spirit Cat inspection? Make that a contingency?
No. I thought I would miss my chance if I dotted every 'i' and crossed every 't'.
How can I find peace while tending to thirteen cute little cats?
Classic Ben. One step forward, thirteen steps back.
Well, it's too late to leave. I'm dug in now.
You've gotta help me, Scout! Promise me you'll help me *go gold*.
**Scout:** I promise. / Nobody can promise that, but I'll help as much as I can.
**Ben:** Oh, friend... you don't know how much this means to me.
My time has finally come!
This conversation unlocks Ben's first memory.

### Ben's watch

Ben asks the player how to go gold.

**Ben:** So, my friend... how does this "going gold" thing usually work?
**Scout:** You address the problems that haunted you in life.
**Ben:** Oh, fantastic! Problems. Believe me, I had plenty of those.
And how do I address my problems, exactly?
**Scout:** Typically the island sorta manifests things from your past and I find them and bring them to you.
**Ben:** Huh. Things from my past?
Sounds a little slow and *squirrely*, if you ask me. Not very efficient.
You sure there isn't a faster way?
The memory Ben is looking for is a gold watch hidden on the island. The player needs to find it and bring it to Ben to proceed.

**Ben:** Hey, that's a handsome watch!
Well I'll be a cat's whisker... I've seen this before!
My wife Mitzi gave me one just like it on our 20th wedding anniversary.
She even inscribed it. *Be here, be now*.
Well, I've been *here* in this glorified waiting room of an afterlife for decades on end...
...watching while everyone around me ascends.
So now I've got an old watch and a houseful of kittens.
How exactly does **that** address my problems?
**Scout:** It's a start, I guess? / Ben... I think you've got a lot of work ahead of you.
**Ben:** Well, thanks for your help, I guess.
Here, take one of these cats. You earned it.
Ben will give the player Megayacht, a young spectral cat that likes cozy decor and has no dislikes.

### Broken picture

Ben wants to speed up the remembering process.

**Ben:** Well, friend, I've been checking my new-old watch for days on end.
So far, I've turned up *zilch* on the repressed memory front.
I bet the *other* bears relive memories every day, don't they?
**Scout:** I wish, Ben. I wish. / You just have to be patient with yourself.
**Ben:** Well, if you scrounge anything up that reminds you of your pal Ben... bring it around, won't you?
Three broken picture pieces can be found hidden on the island. When the player brings them back to Ben, he rewards them with six magic hairballs.

**Ben:** Well, look at that! Just my luck. A memory finally turns up, and it's busted.
Let me fit these pieces together. A jag here, a shard there...
Ah, this is a photo from the good old days!
Me and my best buddies, Katya and Mitchell, at our old apartment.
We had big plans, you know. The three of us were going to conquer the world!
And... two of us actually did it.
This unlocks Ben's second memory and its attached comic.

The next day Ben wants to talk.

**Ben:** How's my little Megayacht doing? Sometimes I miss that sweet little cat.
**Scout:** Doing great!
**Scout:** Um, I kept her in charm form for the time being.
**Ben:** Really? You can do that?
**Ben:** In the long run, I'll bet you'll give her a better life than I ever could.
Do you have kids, friend?
**Scout:** Nope, I'm child-free. / Sir, I *am* a kid.
**Ben:** I may have already told you, but I had three kids of my own.
You... always want the best for them, you know?
You want them to have all the things you didn't have.
But they need *so much help*. And you spend so much time just trying to get the bills paid.
So instead of giving them the best...
...You scramble through your waking hours, just trying to get them the bare minimum...
### Sunflower seeds

Ben wants to plant some sunflowers.

**Ben:** You know what I wish?
**Scout:** No, what?
**Scout:** You have a lot of wishes, Ben.
**Ben:** You've got me there, friend! But today I have a new one...
**Ben:** I wish I'd been able to see the legendary garden of Ursula Pine.
I bet if you planted a penny in that soil, it'd sprout a fifty dollar bill.
 Next to that, my dingy little quarter-acre might as well be a litter box. No wonder I haven't gone gold!
I could use some help gathering sunflower seeds so I can brighten things up around here. What do you say?
Five sunflower seeds can be found hidden on the island. Once the player brings the seeds to Ben, he rewards them with five random flower blossoms.

**Ben:** Much obliged, friend!
I always wanted a garden.
After a long day of ledgers and balance sheets, it would have been such a joy to take my last few steps home along a path of yellow roses.
But there wasn't time. There just wasn't time.
The house needed repairing. The kids needed help with school.
Something was always on the verge of catching fire.
...
Well, nothing's stopping me now! I'll plant these, and let's see what grows.
The next day Ben complains nothing is growing from the seeds.

**Ben:** This may come as a shock to you, friend... but I'm quite consternated today.
**Scout:** What's bothering you?
**Scout:** You probably need more fiber in your diet.
**Ben:** No, no... I said *consternated*. As in full of worries and woes!
**Ben:** Nothing's growing from Ursula's seeds!
Maybe Ursula had better soil? Better weather? Softer gardening gloves?
Or... maybe my kittens dug up the seeds while I wasn't looking???
Yeah, strike all the other options. That has to be it!
When in doubt, blame the cats.
### Mitzi's pearl

Ben tells the player the seeds have finally sprouted.

**Ben:** Hot jumping dang, friend! Something finally sprouted from those sunflower seeds.
**Scout:** Was it a sunflower?
**Ben:** Well, wouldn't that have been straightforward!
**Scout:** I'm guessing it wasn't a sunflower.
**Ben:** It was a gold ring! My Mitzi's wedding ring.
But the ring was missing a pearl. There used to be a big one on it, right in the center.
I wonder if a clam scooped that old pearl back up?
Mitzi's pearl can be obtained by skipping a stone at one of the clams offshore. Once the player brings the pearl back to Ben, Ben rewards them with a three random recipes for crafting decorations and tells them more about his wife.

**Ben:** You found it! Thank you.
You know, I was all ready to get Mitzi a great big diamond ring. Something she could proudly show her friends. But she shut me right down.
*A pearl is better*, she said.
*Diamonds are made under unbearable pressure. But a pearl starts small and grows larger and larger under the care of a clam.*
*Which do you think is a better symbol of love?* she asked me.
*Whichever one makes your friends jealous*, I answered. Hah!
She knew I was kidding. I think?
This conversation unlocks Ben's third memory.

### Eggs

Ben has run out of eggs.

**Ben:** Hey there, friend!
I've been working on a thirty-point plan for getting my house ascension-ready.
Trim the hedges, gild the windowsills, scrub cat barf out of the couch... there's a lot to do.
But in the meantime, I also have a dozen mouths to feed. And I've run out of eggs!
Once the player brings a dozen of eggs to Ben, Ben rewards them with five fancy greens.

**Ben:** Did you get these from Pandam? He's probably the only soul on Cozy Grove as unlucky as me.
It's almost enough to make you grateful for the things you've got...
And hey, the cats love their eggs!
**Scout:** Feeding eggs to cats? That's a little sus, Ben. / I'm not an expert on spirit cat diets. I hope you're right!
**Ben:** Oh no, I won't feed the eggs to them raw!
We're going to make pancakes.
**Scout:** Pancakes???
**Ben:** Yep! There's nothing my spirit babies like more than pancake day.
They mostly just flip them with their paws and bat them around the floor.
It makes my little kitties so *happy*.
Watching them play, I can forget my cares and woes, at least for a moment.
### Rare fish

Ben's cats are asking for rare fish.

**Ben:** Oh, friend, THESE CATS OF MINE... they've acquired a taste for rare fish.
Me? I never could afford the good stuff. Canned tuna, that was it.
When you've got three kids to feed, you don't buy halibut.
But these cats, they won't eat *common* fish! No sir, not good enough for them!
Think you can help me?
Ben is asking for three rare or legendary fish. When the player delivers it, Ben tells them about his wife.

**Ben:** You caught us some rare fish! Mitzi will be eating well tonight.
**Scout:** You named one of the cats after your wife?
**Scout:** Wait, your wife is here?
**Ben:** I'm talking about one of the cats!
**Ben:** The mama cat, specifically.
I was about to name her *Eight-Seat Jacuzzi* when I noticed something unusual.
She has a cute little dot on her nose, just like my wife.
My Mitzi was a bit like a cat, too.
She always seemed like she had some wonderful secret that she wasn't quite ready to share.
I have a feeling she went gold ages ago.
That's half the reason I'm working overtime on my ascension, friend. I've been waiting so many years to see Mitzi again.
But I need to finish our dream house first!
Our family scratched out an OK living for ourselves, but it was two or three to a bed, if you take my meaning. We were never comfortable.
I want us to spend eternity together somewhere *better*.
The player is rewarded with some hairballs of the great goddess and unlocks Ben's fourth memory.

### Memory delivery

Ben asks the player to retrieve his missed mail delivery at the post office.

**Ben:** Hey there friend! I got a "missed memory delivery" postal notice the other day.
Patrice is always hustling, isn't he? You gotta admire it.
Could you swing by the post office for me soon? I'm not sure how long they'll hold missed memory deliveries.
I sure hope it's an *important* memory. I'd like to hurry this whole revelation process along.
The Three Bears proposal can be found in the player's mailbox attached to the following letter:

To Ben Hiberneczek, c/o the Scout
Here's the business proposal we discussed.
What do you think?
The time is now. Are you in or out?

When the player brings the proposal to Ben, he tells them the history behind it:

**Ben:** Oh, for the love of fudge!
It's a bit of a stretch, calling this a "*missed memory*".
It's a business proposal. Specifically, the proposal that my two best friends made to me.
*THREE BEARS Jewelry: luxurious yet affordable jewelry for the modern bear*.
Mitchell's designs, Katya's metalworking skills, plus yours truly running the business side of things.
A startup with my two best friends? It sounded like a dream.
But Mitzi and I had a cub on the way. I couldn't leave my accounting job. Couldn't take the risk.
...Ah. I see it now.
I'm such a fool. Any bear worth his fur would've seen this one coming.
That decision must be what's been stopping me from going gold! My big mistake.
I told Mitchell and Katya that the time just wasn't right for "Three Bears."
So they went ahead without me. Founded their own jewelry brand, "Large and Small"...
*<Ben stares off into the distance, lost in thought>*
The player is rewarded with five random flower blossoms and unlocks Ben's fifth memory.

### Taking risks

Ben decides he needs to be bolder and take risks, starting with trying Allison Fisher's baking.

**Ben:** Hey there, friend. I know what's holding me back now.
It's clear as day. I've been too scared of taking risks.
Not like everyone's favorite baker, Allison Fisher. She's a bold operator, that one!
She'll stuff an eel in a bundt cake without batting an eye. What I wouldn't give for that level of moxy!
Maybe if I tasted Allison's baking, her risk-taking spirit would work its way into my system?
What do you say?
To complete the quest, the player needs to bring Ben one camp churros. Ben is unimpressed, but still rewards the player with with one rare pearl.

**Ben:** Hmm. Soggy on the outside, tough and crunchy on the inside.
I suspect Allison dusted this with topsoil instead of cinnamon.
Friend, I literally can't imagine a worse churro.
To proudly sell this "food" to others? Why, Allison must be the *bravest bear* on Cozy Grove!
Me, on the other hand? I didn't even have the courage to join a once-in-a-lifetime business opportunity with my best friends.
...
You know, I thought this churro might fill me with the boldness I needed...
Instead, I've got nothing but regrets. One in my heart, and the other in my belly.
### A dream

Ben tells the Scout about the strange dream he had.

**Ben:** Funny thing, friend. I was installing some gold-foil shingles on my roof yesterday.
The sun came out from behind the clouds and warmed my belly.
Then the kittens hopped up and nestled themselves next to me.
It felt so good, we all fell asleep!
I had the strangest dream then, up there on the roof.
**Scout:** Ghosts can dream?
**Ben:** Oh, anyone can dream, friend! But not everyone's dreams come true.
While I was sleeping, an object came to my mind. *A blue pacifier*.
I held it in my paw; looked at it from every angle.
But when I woke up, I was empty-handed as usual.
I wonder what it meant?
A blue pacifier can be found hidden on the island. Once the player brings it to Ben, he tells them more about his life and rewards them with three crafting recipes for random decorations.

**Ben:** This is it, the pacifier from my dream!
It belonged to my first child, Vorsila. She wouldn't sleep without it.
Between my accounting job and Vorsila's late-night wakeups, I had my paws full. Wasn't thinking about anything else.
But the year after that, Katya and Mitchell hired my firm to balance their books.
That's when the realization hit me like a brick: I'd missed a huge opportunity.
You wouldn't believe what folks were paying for a 24-karat pendant from Large and Small.
One year after I'd decided to play it safe, Katya and Mitchell were already sitting on a gold mine.
And what was I sitting on? I'll tell you what: the cold, hard floor.
Why? Because I was multitasking. Shuffling my clients' tax returns with one paw and coaxing Vorsila to sleep with the other.
The next day Ben tells the Scout why he wants to ascend so badly.

**Ben:** I bought a fancy new doorknocker from Mr. Kit yesterday.
By the time I got it back to the house, my kittens had broken three windows and a chandelier.
I wonder when I'll be done at this rate? Might as well crunch the numbers.
Projected end date... let's see, carry the 2...
Ah! *Quarter to never*.
**Scout:** Just be patient, Ben. / Why are you in such a rush?
**Ben:** I like to read the local newspaper, you know? I'm always watching the *Ascension Section*.
My old friend Katya went gold last year.
And any day now, I just know I'm going to see Mitchell's name in there too.
Those two got out ahead of me in life. Like so many others...
What will Mitzi think if I fall behind them in death, too?
Another day later Ben want to talk again.

**Ben:** The meowing. The MEOWING. It's driving me right up the walls!
Charlotte Pine wakes up to *birdsong* every morning.
She gathers her thoughts, sips her tea. What a life!
Meanwhile *my* alarm clock is Meow. Meow! MEOW!! Meow Meow MEOW!!!
Who can find eternal peace with all this racket?
Do you know what I need?
**Scout:** A little perspective?
**Ben:** Yes! Exactly!
**Scout:** The number for animal control?
**Ben:** Don't even joke about that! I love those cats. Still...
**Ben:** I need some advice from all my lucky neighbors who've gone gold.
I need to figure out *what they've got that I don't*...
### First golden echo

Ben decides to seek an advice from the bears who have already ascended and tells the Scout about golden echoes.

**Ben:** Say, friend, I've noticed something about my ascended neighbors...
Once they achieve their big revelation, mum's the word. They're downright *untalkative*.
**Scout:** I've noticed that too. / Isn't it a little sad?
**Ben:** Yeah. At first I wondered, *how in the great blue heck am I supposed to get advice from these lucky, transcendent souls*?
But then I remembered the *Golden Echoes*.
**Scout:** Golden Echoes?
**Ben:** Never heard of Golden Echoes? Well, I suppose that makes sense.
You're new to this afterlife business. *I've* been in it the better part of a century.
They're strange little critters, the Echoes.
They wander between the planes of existence, and bits of wisdom sometimes get tangled up in them.
Put a Golden Echo up to your ear, and you can hear the voices of the Ascended dispensing advice from beyond the grave.
If you ever manage to catch a Golden Echo, let me know.
The golden echo is a special critter that can be caught with a critter net. Once the player brings the echo to Ben, he listens to it and tells the player what he hears.

**Ben:** You caught one, friend! Way to put your wilderness training to good use.
Now I've got to put it up to my ear, and listen for a voice.
...!
It's a message from one of my heroes, Valentina Oso-Fisher!
...
Ugh. I was hoping she'd give me some pointers on creating a perfect home...
But her echo has me stumped.
*I went gold when I freed myself from expectations*, it says.
I was expecting something a little more *practical* and *detailed* from the bear who famously hand-selected every cobblestone on Main Street!
Oh! She did leave a message for you, too:
*To my favorite assistant: if they ever hold another election for Mayor, you have my vote.*
*Here's a little backpay to cover all the cute outfits I "borrowed" from you.*
The player receives 10,000 as a reward.

### A photo

Ben asks the player to take a photo of the interior of their tent.

**Ben:** Say, friend... you've built quite a camp for yourself, haven't you?
**Scout:** What, this old thing? / I do love decorating! / Yep, I put a lot of Spirit Logs into that bad boy.
**Ben:** The demonic firepit is a fine touch, but it's the epic tent that really takes the cake!
What's your tent like on the inside? Snap me a picture, would you?
The player needs to take a photo of a room inside their tent with at least three log cabin interior decorations and one cat on it with their spirit camera, save it in their journal, and talk to Ben.

**Ben:** Peas and carrots, friend! This is where you live??
**Scout:** Yep! Flamey really hooked me up. / Eh; this is just where I put my stuff.
**Ben:** What refinement! What style! What fine use of SPACE!
You can tell, just from that tent, that you're a success.
You know, our family visited Katya's new mansion after the "Large and Small" brand made it big.
She met us in her *foyer*. Mitzi and I were sharing a single bedroom with a 2 year old at the time.
And Katya tried to *apologize* for her house. "It's so empty, isn't it?"
As if she didn't know that her house screamed success! While mine whispered *failure*.
Hmph.
Here, I named this cat "Katya." You can keep her.
Ben gives the player Katya, a special pet cat that looks like an epic blood cat, likes cozy decor, and has no dislikes. This quest also unlocks Ben's sixth memory and its attached comic.

### Second golden echo

Ben asks the player to catch another golden echo.

**Ben:** There was another Golden Echo sighting today!
Maybe *this* one will help me go gold.
Please, friend! Catch it for me before it's too late?
The golden echo is a special critter that can be caught with a critter net. Once the player brings the echo to Ben, he listens to it and hears Octavia Cubbins' voice.

**Ben:** You're a wizard with that net, friend!
Let's see what this critter has to say...
Well, shoot. When I put my ear up to the body, all I hear is the sound of waves.
No, wait, there's a voice! *Octavia Cubbins*.
Octavia... she has that fabulous shoreside property, doesn't she? I can't believe her luck.
Hm. *Don't push away the ones who love you*, she's saying.
Well, how in the honey-loving world does that help?
Who do you think I'm trying to stay connected with? My family, of course!
But I can't, because I'll never ascend!
...And when I look around the island, it's obvious why I never will.
Despite all my hustling, my only appreciable asset is a small army of kittens.
I just don't measure up. I'm not *important* enough for eternity.
Ben gives the player some hairballs of the great goddess as a reward.

### Third golden echo

Ben asks the player to catch another golden echo.

**Ben:** There was another Golden Echo sighting today!
Can you catch it for me, friend?
The golden echo is a special critter that can be caught with a critter net. Once the player brings the echo to Ben, he listens to it and hears Lee Berry Dennings' voice.

**Ben:** Thank you! Let's see whose echo we've found today...
Why, I'd recognize that silky, golden drawl anywhere! It's Lee Berry Dennings!
Now there's a bear who has it all. Literally!
Wonder what universal wisdom old Lee's got in store for us...
He's saying... *The secret is letting go.*
Sure, that makes sense!
Gotta let go of my worthless junk, so I can make space for *better stuff*! Like everyone else has!
OK, letting go... let's see, let's see... where to start?
Oh...!
Want a new cat, friend?
Ben gives the player Personal Helicopter, a special pet cat that looks like a rare ornate cat, likes cozy decor, and has no dislikes.

The next day Ben wants to talk.

**Ben:** Give it to me straight, friend.
You've seen a lot of bears make it big in the afterlife.
Do you think I'm working hard enough?
**Scout:** You're doing your best, Ben. That's what matters.
**Scout:** Actually, Ben? You're working *way too* hard.
**Ben:** Too hard? I don't understand.
**Ben:** I've marked my progress on a spreadsheet. And according to the data, I'm just running in place!
It's the same thing that happened while I was alive.
I made my living in accounting. Every day, I'd pore over my client's P&Ls.
To get them a tax break, I'd try to make them look *less successful* than they were.
But I knew the truth. I managed their fortunes. I helped subsidize their new mansions with clever accounting tricks.
Meanwhile, I was stuck in a small, cramped home that barely fit my family.
I thought all my hard work would pay off some day.
But every tick of the clock brought more bills, more unpleasant surprises, more expenses.
*My* time never came.
### Fourth golden echo

Ben asks the player to catch yet another golden echo.

**Ben:** There's another Golden Echo out there today!
Rumor has it this one's carrying a message from Bruin Tram himself.
What a great mind! So full of *ideas*.
Maybe he can offer some practical, down-to-earth advice for me?
The golden echo is a special critter that can be caught with a critter net. Once the player brings the echo to Ben, they listen to it together.

**Ben:** Oh, thank you friend! I'm lucky to have you in my corner.
Let's see what sort of interesting ideas Bruin Tram has for us...
...
...
Yowzer! That fellow has *ideas* all right.
He gave me a three-part manifesto for ascension.
*1. Do NOT forget your daily bowl of cornflakes and mouthwash. It's essential to clear the previous night's subliminal programming.*
*2. Do NOT trust the lizard-people under any circumstances.*
*3. Do NOT buy into crackpot theories that claim to fix all your problems.*
This doesn't help me at all.
Excuse me, friend. I can't waste anymore time with this.
I have to get back to upcycling my cottage into a mansion.
Once I finish upgrading the house, I can make Mitzi proud. And then my problems will be solved.
Ben rewards the player with three crafting recipes for random decorations.

### Party hat

Ben decides to attend one of Archie's parties and asks the Scout for help.

**Ben:** I heard a real ruckus over by Archie's last night.
He seems to have more fun than anyone around here.
I thought I heard the voices of our ascended neighbors in the crowd, too! But that's impossible, isn't it?
**Scout:** Everyone's welcome at Archie's! / It must be the honeybrew.
**Ben:** And here I've been chasing magic beetles just to catch a secondhand scrap of wisdom, when Archie's getting ascension in stereo every night!!
Well, I could wait for an invite 'til I'm grey in the whiskers. But there's no time for that.
Help me pick a decent hat, so I can at least crash Archie's party in style?
A party hat can be purchased at Mr. Kit's Clothes for 5,000. The player brings it to Ben to complete the quest and receive four silver ingots as a reward.

**Ben:** You have such refined taste, friend!
With this hat, I almost look like a *somebody*.
Mitzi would be proud.
The next day Ben tells the Scout how the party went.

**Ben:** Let me tell you, friend... Archie's party was a hoot!
I saw Francesca, Charlotte, even Captain Snout.
Sadly, none of them offered a lick of decent advice.
Of course. They're all legends! How could they relate to a loser like me?
Enlightenment came so easily to them, didn't it?
**Scout:** Actually, Francesca thought she was a tree for weeks on end.
**Ben:** Just weeks?? I should be so lucky.
**Scout:** It's different for everyone, Ben.
**Ben:** Let's face it. Despite your pitch-perfect hat selection, I was *awkward* around those bears.
It felt like they took my measure and saw nothing but dander and desperation.
The real tragedy is that under all this kitten crud, I know I'm every bit as good as they are.
I *know* I am. But I don't know if I'll ever be able to prove it.
### Afterlife Times

Ben wants to read the newest issue of the Afterlife Times.

**Ben:** There's a new edition of the Afterlife Times out today!
Once I get my paws on it, I can check the Ascension Section.
One Afterlife Times can be found hidden on the island. Once the player bring it to Ben, he immediately reads it.

**Ben:** Thank you, friend! My tail won't stop twitching until I've checked for the latest ascensions.
I have a fun little ritual of cursing each name under my breath.
...
YOOWWLLLLLLL!!!!
Right there, on the first page... it's...
My Ben. Ben Junior. My little boy finally ascended.
It says here he did it by... "forgiving me."
Huh? Forgiving me for *what*? I sacrificed everything for my family!
I turned my back on a dream job, scrimped and saved my whole life, just to be sure my family would have its needs taken care of!
This is just great. I've run the spiritual rat race for so long that *my own son* has beaten me to the finish line.
And apparently, even **HE** doesn't think much of me!
...
You know what the worst part is? I'm happy for him.
It's about time he left me behind, like everyone else.
I'm just dead weight. No good to anybody.
The player is rewarded with five random flower blossoms and unlocks Ben's seventh memory.

The next day Ben tells the Scout more about his wife.

**Ben:** I know I have my flaws, friend.
They never really understood.
I remember a moment after the last cub, Mona, had left for college.
Not an Ivy, of course. A state school, on scholarship.
But that's beside the point.
I had taken some files home with me and I was working through Sunday at the breakfast table.
*You're working?* Mitzi asked me.
I told her yes, because with a little more overtime, we'd be able to afford gold sconces by our front door! Just like the ones we'd seen at Katya's mansion.
She looked at me with the saddest smile on her face.
Do you know what she said to me?
*Oh, Ben. I wish it could be enough.*
So you see, friend? With those words, she confirmed what I'd guessed all along.
The things I could afford were simply *never going to be enough*.
That's why my little piece of Cozy Grove matters so much. Getting this right is my last chance to be worthy of Mitzi.
### Photo of Ted

Ben is still shaken and tired of his attempts to ascend.

**Ben:** I'm so tired, friend.
Tired of struggling uphill.
Tired of waking up every day to the smell of kitty litter.
Tired of trying to turn my fixer-upper into something better.
I'm doomed. Pius, Dalia and Bearos puttered around with their ghostly problems for what? A few thousand years, I'd wager.
That'll be me. I know it.
Any minute now, those three will be looking down from their golden pedestals and laughing at old Ben.
I bet there's not a single bear on this island who won't go gold before me.
The player is prompted to take a photo of Ted Sapsen with their spirit camera, save it, and share it with Ben. Ben is surprised and puzzled.

**Ben:** Huh? I said a bear, not a rock!
**Scout:** Meet Ted Sapsen. He's both!
**Ben:** Ted Sapsen! I've heard about him. What a head-scratcher.
So... he could go gold any time, but he chooses not to?
Why???
The player receives a rare pearl as a reward.

### Rocks for Ted

Ben went to visit Ted. He needs something to make Ted talk.

**Ben:** I want to understand this Ted character.
Why isn't he gold yet? What's he waiting for?
So, I stopped by his place. Very rustic. Great natural features...
... but, truth be told, I don't envy Ted's living situation. And that's saying something.
He's not big on talking, either, is he?
He says I don't have anything he wants.
**Scout:** I'm pretty sure I know what Ted wants.
**Scout:** Rocks! RoCkS! Rooooooocks! ROCKS!!!!!
**Ben:** Woah. Yeah! You're really feeling it!
**Ben:** You've always come through for me before, friend.
I hope you can find something that lets me make Ted emerald with envy!
The player needs to find three envious emeralds hidden on the island and bring them to Ben. Ben is not convinced.

**Ben:** Oh, thanks a million, friend!
Ted should be pleased as punch when he sees these... uh, rocks.
Hmm. They're so small. And dull. And rough to the touch.
Are you really sure Ted wants these?
**Scout:** Yes. / YES. / TED! IS! READY! TO! ROCK!
**Ben:** OK. I trust you, friend.
Ben rewards the player with three crafting recipes for random decorations.

The next day Ben shares how his visit to Ted went.

**Ben:** I met with Ted, friend. And I brought your rocks along.
I told him I'd give the rocks to him if he answered my question.
He said, *Fine. I'll do it. For the rocks*.
So I asked him: How can you still be here after all this time? Can't you do better?
His answer surprised me.
*I like rocks*, he said. *There's nothing better than rocks. Not to me.*
*There are rocks here. There might not be rocks on the other side.*
*Goodbye.*
I'm stumped, friend. How could anyone care so much about rocks?
Doesn't he know there are more important things in life?
### Mitzi is missing

Ben is tells the player his cat is missing and asks them to find her.

**Ben:** Oh, it's terrible, friend!
A Golden Echo flitted past my house this morning.
I thought maybe it was a bit of good luck.
Then Mitzi, the mama cat, caught sight of the Echo.
She took off after it. So it flew over the water and Mitzi... she swam out after it!
The poor kittens! Private Island, Infinity Pool, Unlimited Truffles... all of them are wailing for their missing mama.
Please, find Mitzi before it's too late!
Unlike most other hidden objects, Mitzi's charm can be obtained by skipping stones at one of the clams offshore. Once the player brings Mitzi back to Ben, he gives them some hairballs and realizes something important.

**Ben:** Oh, friend, you found Mitzi! I'm so grateful
Her kittens will be so happy, too!
...
You know, a thought just popped into my ticker.
I named those kittens all wrong.
I named them all after million-dollar dreams. Like "Diamond Watch", "Twelve-Car Garage", and "Faberge Toilet Seat".
But the kittens don't care about wealth. They care about their mama.
When mama's around, they like to chase their tails. Play in the sunlight. Eat snacks.
The upgrades I've made to the house? The kittens don't care about those.
They want to be with family, and eat, and play. Just three simple things.
...which I guess is two more things than Ted ever wants, right?
I named those cats after my own hangups. Trying to measure up to my old friends.
But the cats have been showing me a better way to live all this time. I just couldn't see it.
The next day Ben tells the Scout he had finally taken a break.

**Ben:** I took a day off, friend.
The cats and I spent the day curled up on the couch, eating pancakes and coughing up hairballs.
It's strange. The whole day, I never once thought about going gold.
It was nice.
### Letter for Ben

Ben asks the Scout to find the letter stolen from him by one of his kittens.

**Ben:** Nice to see you, friend! It's already been an eventful day.
A letter arrived, but before I could open it, a kitten got a hold of it.
The rascal bit it and ran off into the woods!
If you find a letter addressed to your old pal Ben, would you bring it by?
The letter is hidden on the island. Once the player finds it and Brings int back to Ben, Ben rewards them with two precious gems and reads the letter with them.

**Ben:** Paws and whiskers! This letter is from my dear old friend Mitchell.
Woah. It's a long one. It reads like a confession.
**Scout:** What does it say?
**Ben:** Mitchell gave everything to his work.
He lost touch with his friends because he was too busy obsessing over his designs.
Towards the end, he and Katya weren't even speaking. They did business with each other through lawyers.
He never got to experience having a family. A partner or children.
He gave that all up to make *Large and Small* the mega success that it was.
Despite everything he had, he died alone and unhappy.
Mitchell spent a long afterlife working through his envy... of *me*!!
Of the life I built with Mitzi, and our kids.
He wrote that after all these years, he's finally gotten over his jealousy.
Jealousy. Of *ME*. Can you believe that?
It looks like he's ready to go gold now.
Good for you, Mitchell! Goodbye, old friend.
I'll see you in the papers.
### Ben's watch again

Ben lost his watch and asks the Scout to find it again.

**Ben:** I can't believe it, friend. I misplaced my watch!
The very first memory I found on this island.
It could've been the cats. Or maybe it was just my own absent-mindedness.
Can you please find it for me?
The watch is hidden on the island. The player needs to find it and bring it to Ben to get some hairballs, complete Ben's last quest, and unlock his last memory.

**Ben:** Ah, my watch. Still ticking.
Still engraved with that wonderful message from Mitzi. *Be here, be now*.
I spent fifty-two years married to her.
Fifty two years in a big, bustling, ridiculous family.
Our days were so full. But I didn't appreciate them.
I treated my family like it all wasn't enough.
I understand now. Mitzi didn't *need* more. She just wanted the life we'd made together to be *enough for me*.
**Scout:** I think you've got it, Ben.
**Ben:** I almost wish I didn't. It's *too late* for me to go back and appreciate the life I had.
But this life, with these cats, on this island...?
I'm not done here. Not quite yet.
I'm making the cats silver dollar pancakes tomorrow.
Will they eat them? Or will they bat them around the floor like hockey pucks?
I'm going to enjoy it, either way.
The next day Ben is finally ready.

**Ben:** Hey, friend! I had a whopper of a day with the kittens.
The little rascals got into my pancake batter!
Purrsila knocked over the bowl, and Bencat Jr. got his paws into it.
They tracked it all over the floor, the windowsills, even the roof.
...
You know, my time could be coming soon.
My final epiphany might strike at any moment. Send me onwards, turn me to gold.
But I almost hope it doesn't.
I'm finally starting to enjoy this hand-me-down, cat-scratched afterlife of mine.
With these words, Ben ascends and turns golden. His area will stay permanently lit and colored. He will no longer give the player story quests; however, he will still occasionally give the player daily quests.