The Starsgream Strategy

## Author

Tox

***The Starsgream Strategy*** was a survival guide written by Tox in the First Era.

It claimed to reveal the simple rules that allowed the master survivalist Starsgream to escape Dragonhollow's First Era without dying a single time in the Lakelands.

# Availability

### First Era

* Chests around Lakeview Village
* Lakelands Museum

# Content

How to let lie,

who dares to live,

but was born to die?

—Grim

### Dragonhollow is Death

Dragonhollow is death.

Throughout its long and turbulent history, this basic truth has remained unchanged and inexorable.

Travelers drawn by marvelous cities and rumors of wealth and splendor step off the airship into a hellscape of unforgiving wilderness and high expectations. Ambushed by bandits, their stuff stolen and their lives lost. Torn apart under the scarlet stare of a midnight bloodmoon. Sacrificed upon the altar of the dragon temple.

There are those who relish such an environment—thrill-seekers, adventurers, reavers and raiders, great engineers and warriors, men and women made for hard living at the edge of oblivion. Others accept their fate, learning to live with the fact that they're doomed to die and instead try to chisel out a meager existence. Some simply break, unable to cope with their own mortality, screaming profanities at the priests of Eris and vowing never to return.

All of them are merely pawns in a game much greater than themselves, orchestrated by the almighty creator and goddess of discord Eris in an unholy alliance with the lord of the underworld Grim. Their purpose is to entertain and amuse, briefly in life, more often in death.

For Dragonhollow is death.

But there is another way.

### Starsgream the Unexceptional

Starsgream arrived in Lakeview Village early in the First Era.

It was a time of lawlessness and chaos, paranoia and intrigue, theft and murder. Isolated hermits hoarded their wealth and predatory merchants jealously coveted what they had, seeking to undermine each other even while feigning friendship. A mercenary class made their way in the world doing their bidding, one day taking a job for a hermit only to war against them the next. The rest kept their heads down, poor and fearful, huddling hopelessly in the sprawling slum that had sprung up around the central village.

But Starsgream was not like the others. He was no redstone specialist or temple raider. His skills with a sword would win the hearts of no maidens nor excite the quills of gifted wordsmiths. No one marveled at his architecture or stood in awe of his mining technique.

He was every one. He was no one.

This man was outwardly exceptional in no way. Few took notice of him at all while they went about raising great phallic monuments, slaying dragons, and automating every aspect of their day-to-day existence.

But Starsgream outlived every single one of them.

### He Did Not Die

Starsgream did not die.

Not when Champ ran amok through the world on a one-man crusade to kill every one of its inhabitants. Not when Eris implemented a thirty-minute delay between teleports. Not when the First Bloodmoon itself destroyed Lakeview Village.

He did not die.

Grim thirsted for his immortal soul but was always denied its taste. An anonymous reward on the Old Oak bounty board went uncollected. The ugly envy of his fellow citizens never became schadenfreude upon his demise.

He did not die.

Starsgream was an ordinary man living in extraordinary times and his longevity was no great mystery or incredible feat. Many simply explained away his survival as luck or superior ability, never imagining that were just as capable if they were simply willing to emulate him.

He did not die...

...because there is another way.

### The Starsgream Strategy

* *#001—Bunker Up*

Always live in an underground bunker. Never let them see you.

* *#002—Isolation*

The further you live from spawn, the fewer unwanted visitors you'll receive, and the longer it will take for them to travel back and forth to you.

* *#003—Double Walls*

With walls two blocks thick, a badly aimed pickaxe won't get you killed, enemies can't briefly break them to spy on you, and mobs can't glitch through.

* *#004—Warp not Walk*

Don't walk home in the overworld so someone can't follow you. Warp, and if you can't, wait until you can.

* *#005—Function over Form*

Design your base with protection in mind, not looks. Every fancy roof or window is a liability that can get you killed.

* *#006—Entrances are Weaknesses*

Your base needs no entrance. Entrances are weak points that can be exploited. Even if they can't use the buttons or levers to open your entrance, people and mobs can follow you inside. Break blocks to enter or leave if absolutely necessary, but the ideal base simply has no way in or out except warping.

* *#007—Divide and Conquer*

Your rooms should be divided by iron doors. If the worst happens, mobs and people that get inside can be sealed off.

* *#008—Torches are Cheap*

Light every surface.

* *#009—Slabs are Cheap*

Slab every surface.

* *#010—Multiple Escape Routes*

Even if you have no entrance, that doesn't mean you shouldn't have escape routes in case somebody or something is camping you. Always have a way out they don't know about.

* *#011—Surface Stealth*

Leave no sign you're there. Do not cut wood near your home. Do not light torches above your bunker. Do not dig dirt or clear obstacles.

* *#012—Do It Underground*

Crops grow underground. Trees grow underground. Anything you build above ground is easier to ambush. It all goes underground. XP grinders. Water sources. Villager farms.

* *#013—Don't Split Claimblocks*

Use only one claim and constantly expand it as you gain more claimblocks, protecting the core of your base more and more as time goes by. Grow your base as your claim grows, not the other way around.

* *#014—Hard Work*

Always be mining, crafting, enchanting. Idle hands lead to boredom and laziness which lead to death.

* *#015—Be Self Sufficient*

Rely on no one but yourself, including Acey. Do not trust others. If you need it, go get it. Trades are okay, but avoid IOUs. Never give another player power over you.

* *#016—Courteous but Cautious*

Never give anyone a reason to feud with you. Be friendly but distant. Do not talk about where you live—not direction, not biomes, not design. Offer no information freely. Never help, never hurt.

* *#017—No Donations*

Do not build charity chests or mailboxes. Gifts are debts unpaid. Accept nothing you didn't pay for, and give nothing you weren't paid for.

* *#018—Use It or Lose It*

Always wear and use your best armor, weapons, and tools. Do not “save” gear for a rainy day that may never come. Rather than expecting to die, do everything you can to survive.

* *#019—Heal Up*

Do not hoard health. Always carry golden apples and health potions. Use them as soon as you take damage, instead of waiting to maximize their value. You may never get another chance.

* *#020—Beacons are Bad*

Beacons tell the world where you are. Beacons breed bad habits that get you killed when you leave them. Beacons waste materials better used elsewhere. Beacons empower your enemies. If you must have a beacon, install a shutoff switch and only use them for a quick heal or special projects

* *#021—Be a Hermit*

Avoid neighbors who may tell others where you live or expect things from you. Do not join guilds or factions. Never invite guests. Claimblocks are a wall against others. Use them.

* *#022—Have the Upper Hand*

Carry an advantage anytime you go topside. Carry more food than you need. Carry stacks of placeable blocks to ward off mobs or nerdpole to safety. Carry arrows for your bow. Carry torches to light up areas. Carry potions of invisibility, health, and speed; preferably not splash potions so only you get the effects. Carry a bucket of water and milk. Be prepared.

* *#023—Skip Events*

Don't join DH events. The risks always outweigh the rewards and our goddess never plays fair.

* *#024—Play it Safe*

Do not explore that mineshaft filled with poison spiders. Do not go up to see who that nametag belongs to. Do not continue on without health. Do not allow yourself to be drawn into uncontrollable situations.

* *#025—Trade at Spawn*

The only place for trades between players is at spawn, where nobody can die and nobody knows where you live. Make the trade after you've received the items or payment first. If they won't, the trade is off. The only trustworthy person in DH is you.

* *#026—Be Invulnerable*

You are safe in two places: spawn and home. Be there as much as possible.

* *#027—PvP is a Trap*

Everyone who fights eventually loses more than they can afford. Enemies will try to talk you into losing. Ignore them. PvP is a trap. What few benefits you may gain will soon be lost.

* *#028—Curfews*

Seek shelter before sunset, not during or after. Always be in safety by the time mobs begin to spawn. Never leave in the morning before you hear them burn.

* *#029—Avoid End/Nether*

Spend as little time as possible in the End and Nether. Go there with objectives in mind and leave when you achieve them.

* *#030—Never Trust Acey*

Goes without saying. She is not here to keep you alive. Always be suspicious and never take her word for it.

*If you heed these words, may you live forever as unexceptionally as immortal Starsgream.*

*He did not die.*
*Nor will you.*