“Nature and Nurture” is the latest main story quest added to Disney Dreamlight Valley. The quest was added during the October 19 major content update which introduced Scar from The Lion King, a new Villain-themed Star Path event, and limited-time Halloween missions. Like the previous main story quests, “Nature and Nurture” involves restoring one of the Pillars that protects Dreamlight Valley from darkness – in this case, the Pillar of Nurturing in the Sunlit Plateau biome.
To start this quest, you will have to have both unlocked the Sunlit Plateau (which costs 7000 Dreamlight) and have completed prior main series quests up through “The Curse,” which unlocks Mother Gothel and restores the Glade of Trust biome. If you have completed these steps, once the update is installed, you will receive a prompt to visit the Elephant Graveyard and investigate a strange noise.
This guide will cover each step needed to complete the “Nature and Nurture” quest in Disney Dreamlight Valley, including welcoming Scar to the Valley and restoring the Pillar of Nurturing to its former glory.
Free Scar and Enter the Vitalys Mines
First, visit the Elephant Graveyard (the large skull in the Sunlit Plateau) and enter it. Scar from The Lion King will be waiting inside. Turns out that, like Mother Gothel, he got trapped inside his home and has not been able to escape for a long time.
Next, you need to talk to Scar. Luckily for everyone, despite his villainous nature, he is willing to help the Valley. He suggests that you explore the Vitalys Mines to figure out what is blocking the river and causing the Sunlit Plateau to dry up. The Vitalys Mines is a new area accessible via the Sunlit Plateau. You can find the entrance next to the waterfall at the edge of the river.
BEFORE entering the Vitalys Mines, you should have the following items in your inventory:
- One Vanilla (foraged in the Sunlit Plateau)
- One Sugar (harvested from Sugarcane Seeds purchased at Goofy’s Stall in Dazzle Beach)
It is also recommended that you bring Merlin with you as a Companion, as later steps of the quest involve talking to him and it is easier to have Merlin on hand and not have to run around the Valley searching for him. Once you have completed these preparations, you can enter the Vitalys Mines.
Create Extra Fizzy Root Beer and Free the River
Inside the Vitalys Mines, follow the path to the deepest part of the mine. Feel free to explore the side paths, as many contain Chests with Star Coins, clothing, or furniture inside them. You can also mine the glowing rocks for Rubies, Sapphires, and Vitalys Crystals, all new items added with the recent update. In particular, you should make sure to collect ten Vitalys Crystals, as you will need them for a future step in this quest.
The pathways inside the Vitalys Mines are filled with rocks and small Night Thorns that you will need to remove. These activities drain energy, so you may wish to bring energy-restoring food with you so you do not have to keep leaving the Mines and returning to your House to recharge your energy.
When you reach the deepest part of the Mine, you will find a Chest containing three things: Crackling Candy, Dried Ginger, and the recipe for Extra Fizzy Root Beer. You will also find a sign that can be read. Read the sign and learn that you need to create a huge explosion to destroy the Giant Night Thorns and free the river.
Create the Extra Fizzy Root Beer by visiting the cooking station inside Vitalys Mines and combining the Dried Ginger with the Vanilla and Sugar you brought. You MUST use that specific Dried Ginger! Using a normal Ginger harvested from the Forgotten Lands will only create a normal Root Beer that cannot create an explosion.
Now, add the Extra Fizzy Root Beer and the Crackling Candy to the red barrel inside the Mines. BOOM! The explosion will go off and the river will rise, revealing a shortcut that will allow you to quickly exit the Vitalys Mines.
Follow the Forgotten and Find the Orb of Nurturing
As soon as you leave the Vitalys Mines, the Forgotten – the mysterious dark figure haunting the Valley – will appear and then quickly disappear through a dark portal. Follow the Forgotten through the portal. However, you will not be able to catch them before they escape, but they will drop an Orb that you can pick up. There are a few rocks inside the portal that require breaking in order to reach the Orb, so you may want to eat some food or take a quick trip to your House before venturing through.
Next, leave the portal and show the Orb to Merlin. He will explain that this is the Orb of Nurturing, which powers the Sunlit Plateau, but it has lost its light. Merlin will then give you a recipe for a Miracle Growth Elixir that can restore the Orb.
Create the Miracle Growth Elixir
The recipe for the Miracle Growth Elixir requires:
- 10 Vitalys Crystals
- 10 Rich Soil
- 1,000 Dreamlight
As mentioned earlier, Vitalys Crystals can be mined from the glowing rocks inside the Vitalys Mines. There are 11 mining spots in total inside the Mines, so you will likely find enough Crystals by mining each spot once.
If you do not have the 1,000 Dreamlight needed, you can simply complete daily Dreamlight Duties to earn it. Available Dreamlight Duties can be found in the “Dreamlight” section of the in-game menu, and can include tasks like harvesting vegetables, fishing, mining, giving gifts, talking with villagers, or taking photos. You can also earn larger amounts of Dreamlight by improving buildings around the Village, harvesting large amounts of crops, or cooking a wide variety of meals.
Rich Soil is another new item added during the update. Unlike normal Soil, it CANNOT be found by digging as you’d expect. Instead, Rich Soil has a small chance to spawn whenever you harvest a Crop. The quickest way to obtain ten Rich Soil is by planting a large number of crops with a short growth time, such as Lettuce or Carrots. It has not yet been confirmed whether or not having a Companion with a Gardening Role equipped increases the chance of finding Rich Soil, but it is generally recommended due to allowing you to harvest more crops and earn more money.
Once you have obtained all the necessary ingredients, visit any Crafting Station in the Valley to make the Miracle Growth Elixir. There is a handy Crafting Station located inside Scrooge’s Store, as well as one next to Goofy’s House.
Apply the Miracle Growth Elixir in your inventory to your Royal Watering Can. Then, visit Merlin one more time where he will explain that you need to plant and tend to the Orb in order to restore its power over the course of several days.
Plant and Water the Orb of Nurturing
Plant the Orb of Nurturing in front of the Pillar of Nurturing in the Sunlit Plateau. Like Merlin says, you will need to water the Orb regularly in order for its power to be restored. It is recommended that you check up on the Orb frequently and keep it watered throughout the day.
Currently, it is not known exactly how long it takes to grow the Orb of Nurturing to completion and whether there are any steps remaining in the quest once you have restored the Orb. Keep an eye on this guide, as it will be updated once the last steps of the Nature and Nurture quest are known.
Until then, you can check out GameLuster’s other Disney Dreamlight Valley guides for help completing quests, making money quick, feeding Critters, and much more!
Are you enjoying the new content update in Disney Dreamlight Valley? What do you think of Scar as an addition to your Valley? What is your favorite new item, clothing set or furniture piece added to the game? Comment below and let us know!
