The Constant

The Constant, unofficially referred to as Maxwell's World, is the main setting of Don't Starve and Don't Starve Together. Most of the main characters were trapped in this world through various means and are forced to survive its many perils. 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 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 Shipwrecked and Hamlet. These areas are contained in separate dimensions within the Constant itself. In Don't Starve Together, the Florid Postern connects these dimensions, allowing survivors to travel between them.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."
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.
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.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." However, many things existed in the world before Maxwell's reign such as Merms,Merm Vignette: "Merms inhabited the marshes of The Constant long before humans, and will probably exist long after." ruins of an Ancient Civilization, and Depths Worms.Maxwell quotes: DS Depths Worm (emerged)- "Well that's new!" / DST Depths Worm (emerged)- "I didn't make that one! Honest!" It's implied that many of the features added in A New Reign are the creations of Charlie.
Time doesn't flow normally in the Constant. This is expressed through Maxwell and Charlie who both wonder how much time has passed in the real world in certain quotes,Maxwell's Adventure Mode speech: "What year is it out there? Time moves differently here."Charlie's comments in Winona's speech file: "You've changed so much./How much time has passed for you?" or through observation by Wagstaff.Wagstaff quotes: Dusk- "A conspicuously rapid sunset! Time must flow strangely here." Wagstaff also notes that the rates of plant growth, meat drying, and Beefalo hair regrowth are unnaturally fast.Wagstaff quotes: Grass Tuft (picked)- "Luckily the growth rate here is extraordinarily rapid."/Drying Rack (finished)- "Food dries so rapidly here!"/Beefalo (naked)- "Fascinating! Its hair is already rapidly growing back."
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.
In Forbidden Knowledge, Maxwell (through a Voxola Radio) offered Wilson secret knowledge to build the portal known as Maxwell's Door which brought him into the Constant once activated. In Next of Kin, it was revealed that Wagstaff built a similar machine and used his invention to enter the Constant himself. Activating this gateway created an explosion that destroyed the portal and eventually his entire 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 gateway. Despite entering the Constant within a close period of time, Wagstaff entered during Maxwell's reign (Don't Starve) and Winona entered either just before or after Charlie usurped the throne (Don't Starve Together).
== Trivia==
* According to Rhymes with Play #162, the Constant is a separate dimension from the "hub" mentioned by Battlemaster Pugna.
* 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.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?"
* 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.
* The concept of dying and restarting a world in-game seems to be an aspect of the Constant itself. This would mean that each time a survivor is killed, they're revived in a different dimension.Thread with Kevin's timeline post (on page 2): "Wilson lives in DS world for a while. Dies a lot, eventually finds Maxwell's door and confronts Maxwell". Originally posted on September 25, 2014 Also, rifts may exist between the Constant and the real world, allowing items to move between the two realities, as stated by one of Wagstaff's quotes.Wagstaff quotes: License Plate - "I hypothesize this came in through a rift."
==References==
Category:Lore