The Constant

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Gramophone.png This page contains spoilers for the plot of Don't Starve Adventure Mode as well as story elements of Don't Starve Together. Read at your own risk.
“What year is it out there? Time moves differently here.”

–Maxwell

Winona has just arrived at The Constant.

The Constant is the main setting of Don't Starve and Don't Starve Together. Most of the main characters were trapped in these worlds through various means and are forced to survive its many perils.

The Constant consists of all the playable areas of Don't Starve and Don't Starve Together, including the Surface World, Caves, Ruins, and possibly the worlds of DLCs and Time Limit Events. These areas are contained in separate dimensions within the Constant itself. In Don't Starve Together, the Florid Postern connects survivors' dimensions, allowing survivors to travel between them.[1]

The Constant is under the influence of "Them" and the current occupant of the Nightmare Throne. During Don't Starve, this throne was ruled by Maxwell, but by the end of Adventure Mode, he is freed and replaced by the player character. As of Don't Starve Together's expansion A New Reign, the throne was taken away from Wilson by Charlie.

A camp set up by survivors to survive in The Constant.

Much of the Constant as encountered by the characters in Don't Starve and its DLCs was designed by Maxwell through an unknown method of experimentation. According to Maxwell, when he was first brought to the Constant, there wasn't much in existence and he built onto it during his time on the Nightmare Throne.[2] However, many things existed in the world before Maxwell's reign such as Merms and the Marshs they live in,[3] ruins of an Ancient Civilization, and Depths Worms.[4] It's implied that many of the features added in A New Reign are the creations of Charlie.

Rules

Time doesn't flow normally in the Constant.[5] This is expressed through Maxwell and Charlie who both wonder how much time has passed in the real world in certain quotes,[6][7] Also, some objects from earth of the future are appearing in The Constant, like soda cans invented in the 1970s.[8]

Many things operate differently in The Constant. According to Wagstaff's quotes, much of the unreal artwork and game design in the game actually happens in the Constant. Other inconsistencies including but not limited to conspicuously rapid day cycles,[9]plants[10] and creatures[11] that never reproduce but appear out of thin air, Fish's eyes turn into an "X" when they die[12], and marble suits only gets heavier when you wear it.[13]

The concept of dying and restarting a world in-game seems to be aspect of the Constant itself. This would mean that each time a survivor is killed, they're revived in a different dimension.[14][15]

There are some means to transmit between worlds, such as the Florid Postern, Seaworthy[16], Teleportato and Ancient Gateway.

It looks like there may be some kind of Rift (Not the ones in Don't Starve Together) that are able to transfer an item here from the earth[17]

Interactions

Characters from the real world have entered the Constant through different methods.

Maxwell and Charlie were taken into the Constant through the Codex Umbra, as shown in The Amazing Maxwell - The Final Act. This event is implied to have caused the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake.

Maxwell's Door build by Wilson.

In Forbidden Knowledge, Maxwell (through a PR-76 radio) offered Wilson secret knowledge to build the portal known as Maxwell's Door which brought him into the Constant once activated.

Wagstaff and WX-78 built a similar portal to enter the Constant. In Next of Kin this portal created an explosion that destroyed itself and eventually entire Voxola factory. Winona was able to repair this portal before the entire building collapsed. Suddenly, Charlie came through it in her Night Monster form and dragged Winona into the portal.

In Constant Companion, Walter encountered a PR-76 radio in Woodie's abandoned cabin. The Compendium entry for this event says "it is a trap that had lain dormant for years". Upon turning the knob, shadow hands appeared and grabbed Walter, taking him into the Constant.

Sentient species

In spite of the hostility of the world and the takeover from Them, there are many sentient species that inhabit the Constant.

  • The Ancient Civilization were once the dominant species of the Constant, they were a race of arthropod creatures who were technologically and magically advanced. They were eventually brought to extinction by the overuse of nightmare fuel.
  • Pigs are the most common and widespread sentient species in the Constant after the takeover from Them, including the normal Pigs, Guardian Pigs and their Pig King from the Constant's mainland, Wildbores in the Tropics, and the most advanced being the Pig Traders and Royal Guards on the Plateau. It is unclear whether they existed before Maxwell’s reign or if they were created by Maxwell himself.
  • Merms are another common sentient species in the Constant, they are found on the Mainland and the Tropics, though are absent from the Plateau. As Maxwell quotes, Merms existed in the Constant before his own reign on the world.
  • MacTusk and his son Wee MacTusk are a duo of sentient walruses who come to the Constant’s mainland to set up camp during Winter, Maxwell knows MacTusk and may have created him, as he is shocked that MacTusk is hostile towards him after being freed from the Nightmare Throne. MacTusk N’ Son dress in Scottish attire such as kilts and the Tam o’ Shanter. It is unknown if other sentient walruses like MacTusk N’ Son exist elsewhere.

Placeholder.png Trivia

  • The Constant was first named in Don't Starve Together for the text description of certain Curios released during The Forge in 2017.
    • The Constant has not yet been directly named in-game outside of flavor text for various Curios, though Maxwell still refers to it as "his world" in some of his examination quotes for Don't Starve Together.[18]
  • According to Rhymes with Play #162, the Constant "is the world that all survivors exist in and all their dimensions are, in or connect to".
    • Also according to Rhymes with Play #162, The Forge is part of The Constant, but not part of the "Hub".
  • Wilba and Wormwood from the Hamlet DLC, along with Wurt from Don't Starve Together, are the only survivors to originate from the Constant itself. Wortox of Don't Starve Together is from a different plane of existence altogether.[19]

Blueprint.png Gallery

  • Wilson and Maxwell connects survivors' dimensions

    Wilson and Maxwell connects survivors' dimensions

References

  1. ↑ Florid Postern Portrait Frames flavor text: "Wilson and Maxwell constructed the first prototype of the Florid Postern, connecting the survivors' dimensions and allowing them to band together."
  2. ↑ Maxwell's Adventure Mode speech: "There wasn't much here when I showed up."/"Just dust. And the Void. And Them."/"I've learned so much since then. I've built so much."
  3. ↑ Merm Vignette: "Merms inhabited the marshes of The Constant long before humans, and will probably exist long after."
  4. ↑ Maxwell quotes: DS Depths Worm (emerged)- "Well that's new!" / DST Depths Worm (emerged)- "I didn't make that one! Honest!"
  5. ↑ loading screen in DST: "Time moves differently in the Constant. Instead of a monotonous forward march, seconds and eternities seem to throw caution to the wind and do-si-do backwards and forwards as they please."
  6. ↑ Maxwell's Adventure Mode speech: "What year is it out there? Time moves differently here."
  7. ↑ Charlie's comments in Winona's speech file: "You've changed so much./How much time has passed for you?"
  8. ↑ Wagstaff's quote:"I've never seen such an ingenious opening device on a tin can!"
  9. ↑ Wagstaff quotes: Dusk- "A conspicuously rapid sunset! Time must flow strangely here."
  10. ↑ Wagstaff's quote:"Fascinating! I've never seen one of those thriving in the wild before."
  11. ↑ Wagstaff's quote:"Strange that I haven't yet seen any caterpillars."
  12. ↑ Wagstaff's quote:"Remarkable! Upon its death, 'X's appear on its eyes."
  13. ↑ Wagstaff's quote:"Its weight increases when worn, but not when carried. Fascinating!"
  14. ↑ Thread with Kevin's timeline post (on page 2): "Wilson lives in DSworld for a while. Dies a lot, eventually finds Maxwell's door and confronts Maxwell". Originally posted on September 25, 2014
  15. ↑ Wickerbottom's quote:"Poor dear. %s needs a heart to anchor him to this plane."
  16. ↑ Wagstaff's quote:"That invaluable dark fuel is powering transportation to another world!"
  17. ↑ Wagstaff quotes: License Plate- "I hypothesize this came in through a rift."
  18. ↑ Maxwell quotes: Canary- "How do these things keep getting into my world?"/Antlion (upset)- "It's going to wreak havoc on my world."/Battlecry (Deer)- "You do not belong in MY world!"/Diseased Twiggy Tree- "What has brought this blight upon my world?"
  19. ↑ Wortox quotes Ancient Gateway (inactive)- "The thing I hopped through!"
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