You’re staring at the Sunlit Plateau at 10:15 AM, and nothing is there. You’ve checked the river. You’ve checked the orb. Honestly, you’ve probably even checked your own sanity by now. The Dreamlight Valley sunstone fragments quest is easily one of the most frustrating chores Mother Gothel throws your way, mostly because it forces you to play by the game's clock, not yours.
It isn't just about finding items. It’s about being in the right place at a very specific time, and the game is notoriously picky about what it considers "morning."
Most players assume "morning" means when they wake up and have coffee. In the Valley, morning starts way earlier—like, "stayed up too late playing video games" earlier. If you’re struggling to finish this "Restoring the Sunstone" level 10 friendship quest, you’re definitely not alone. It’s buggy, the windows are tight, and if you miss one, you're stuck waiting another 24 hours.
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Where to Find Every Sunstone Fragment
There are three fragments total. Each one is tied to a specific biome and a specific time of day. You can't just run around and hope for the best; you have to plan your day (or your sleep schedule) around these spawns.
The Dawn Fragment (Sunlit Plateau)
This is the one that ruins everyone’s streak. It spawns in the Sunlit Plateau, usually along the riverbank near the floating island or the wooden bridge.
- The Time: 12:00 AM to 10:00 AM.
- The Reality: If you show up at 10:01 AM, it’s gone. A lot of people find that it actually disappears closer to 9:00 AM depending on how the game is handling daylight savings or local server time. If you’re a night owl, grab this right after midnight. It’s way easier than setting an alarm for 7:00 AM.
The Midday Fragment (Glade of Trust)
Head over to the Glade of Trust for this one. It’s usually hanging out near the center of the biome, often near the giant willow tree where Mother Gothel lives.
- The Time: 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
- Pro Tip: This is the most "normal" window, but don't wait until 4:55 PM. The game sometimes transitions biomes into "evening" lighting early, which can despawn the fragment.
The Night Fragment (Forest of Valor)
Finally, you’ll need to hit the Forest of Valor. Look near Anna and Kristoff’s house (or wherever you moved it).
- The Time: 7:00 PM to 12:00 AM.
- Visibility: These things sparkle, but the Forest is dark and cluttered. If you can’t see it, go into "Furniture Mode." Zoom out to a bird's-eye view and scan the ground. It’s much faster than running through every blueberry bush.
Why Your Fragments Aren't Spawning
So you're in the right place at the right time and... crickets. Nothing. This quest is legendary for being glitchy.
First, check your inventory and your storage chests. Seriously. If you picked a fragment up three days ago and threw it in a chest near Wall-E’s garden, the game might think you haven't "found" it yet, but it won't spawn a new one. The quest log is very literal.
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If it’s definitely not in your pockets, try the "Furniture Mode" trick. Sometimes the fragment spawns under a rock or a tree you’ve placed. Move your houses around. Clear out the sticks and flowers in the biome. Sometimes the game hits an "item limit" for a specific area, and the fragment won't appear until you've picked up some of the junk lying around.
Never time travel. Just don't. Changing the clock on your Switch or PC to "force" the morning fragment is the fastest way to break your save file. It can stop crops from growing and prevents daily resets. It basically bricks the game’s internal calendar. It's not worth it for a piece of sunstone.
The Growing Phase: Patience is Mandatory
Once you’ve handed the fragments to Mother Gothel, she’s going to give you a "Dusk Fragment" that you have to plant. This is where people get even more confused.
You have to plant it in the Forgotten Lands. It doesn't matter where, but put it somewhere you’ll remember, like right next to the entrance.
It takes roughly 24 hours to grow. You have to water it. Then you have to water it again. Even if it doesn't look dry, if the ground isn't sparkling, hit it with the watering can. Some players report it taking up to 30+ hours if they forget a watering cycle. If you see it looking withered (brown and crusty), water it immediately or the timer pauses.
Bringing it All Together
After the fragment is fully grown and "Gleaming," you’ll harvest it and head back to the meanest lady in the woods. She’ll then have you collect Sun Meteorites in the Forgotten Lands. These are basically little orange glowing rocks that fall from the sky. They aren't hard to find once the quest triggers—they look like the regular mining nodes but on fire.
Take those to a crafting station, put the whole mess together, and you’re done. You get the restored Sunstone, a decent chunk of friendship XP, and the satisfaction of never having to look for these fragments again.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Check your current local time. If it’s between 7:00 PM and midnight, drop everything and run to the Forest of Valor right now to grab the Night Fragment.
- Clear the Sunlit Plateau. If you're planning to hunt the Dawn Fragment tomorrow morning, spend five minutes tonight picking up all the wood and flowers along the riverbed so the fragment has a clear spot to spawn.
- Prepare your watering can. Ensure you have the "Miracle Growth Elixir" if you want to speed things up, though for this specific quest, the 24-hour timer is usually hard-coded regardless of buffs.