Exploration

Exploration

Exploration is one of the five professions in Starsand Island, mentored by Zephyria at the Exploration Club. It is the only profession centered on combat and dungeon delving. Where the other four professions keep you in the sunshine growing crops and raising animals, Exploration sends you into the Moonlit Forest -- a fog-covered underground ruin filled with hostile creatures, rare ores, and trapped spirits.

Advancing through the Exploration tiers unlocks weapons and ammo, health-restoring cooking recipes, and access to deeper sections of the forest where you find materials like iron, gold, and diamonds that are unavailable anywhere else on the island.

Zephyria and the Exploration Club

Zephyria is the founder and president of the Exploration Club, located in the Green Meadow area north of Pastelle's ranch. He came to Starsand Island two years ago to continue his own mentor's work exploring the ancient ruins beneath the island. He is smart, self-assured, and a little elusive -- you may find him practicing archery on the hill below the club, sitting under a tree beside the building, or inside the shop itself. The club is open from 8 AM to 10 PM.

The Exploration Club sells all weapon and ammo blueprints. It also has a public Ammo Maker on the left side of the counter, so you can craft ammunition even before building your own. Inside, there is a Mysterious Treasure Map on the sideboard, and a treasure chest hidden in the staff-only area adjacent to the main building.

Zephyria is one of the 15 romanceable characters. His favorite gifts are Blue Sleep Lily, Mirage Sunflower, Moonflower, and Sunveil Shroom. See the Romance Guide for details.

Getting Started

Visit the Exploration Club and talk to Zephyria. He gives you a Slingshot blueprint and 20 Simple Pellets for free. Craft the slingshot at a Worktable (2 Softwood + 2 Fiber), then buy the Ammo Maker blueprint (50 Coins) and the Simple Pellet blueprint (200 Coins) from his shop. Build the Ammo Maker at your farm and craft a healthy stockpile of pellets -- 50 or more is a good number before your first real trip into the forest.

With slingshot in hand, head to the Damaged Door behind your house. Shoot the glowing yellow weak points to break it open, revealing a cavern with a portal that leads to the Moonlit Forest.

Profession tiers

Like all professions, Exploration has five tiers: Apprentice, Junior, Intermediate, Senior, and Expert. Each tier requires you to push deeper into the Moonlit Forest, complete quests from Zephyria, and defeat progressively tougher bosses.

Apprentice Explorer

Enter the Moonlit Forest and navigate through the Evernight Forest to the Gate of Life. Along the way, mine three orange Gravecrystals with your pickaxe to free the trapped Gravestars (spirits), and repair the broken bridge (15 Stone). The first real combat test is the Runebird, an elite mob guarding the Gate of Life. Dodge its attacks by running in circles around it and fire your slingshot between its attack animations. Charged shots deal more damage -- aim for the glowing yellow stomach.

Bring the Runebird Fragment back to Zephyria to earn your Apprentice Explorer Certificate. This unlocks the Regular Bait and Bait Holder blueprints, and the Lamb Skewers cooking recipe.

Junior Explorer

Accept the Junior Explorer Trial from the bulletin board. Navigate to Dreamfall Garden and catch 5 Luminwing Butterflies using a Bug Net (only available 6 AM to 6 PM on sunny or snowy days). Submit them at the Luminpath console to create a glowing bridge to the Crystalith Hideout.

The Crystalith is a golem boss that hurls rocks and slams the ground. It takes roughly 50 to 60 rounds of ammo to bring down. Target the bright yellow abdomen, which takes double damage, and jump over its shockwaves. The boss draws power from a central crystal between attacks -- that recharge window is your best opportunity to deal damage.

Completing this tier unlocks the Plume Bow (650 Coins), Arrow (550 Coins), Blast Pellet, Stink Bomb, Bomb Arrow (4,000 Coins), and Stinky Arrow blueprints at the Exploration Club. You also get the Golden Slingshot recipe (1 Slingshot + 3 Gold Ore) and the Moonflower Tea cooking recipe.

Intermediate Explorer

Craft a bow and arrows, then push past Azure Bay into Mural Valley. Zephyria gives you the Ruins Key (Right) during this certification. The Left Ruins Key is found in a round wooden chest below Azure Bay -- take the elevator down to the lower level. With both keys, open the massive iron door near Mural Valley to access the deeper forest.

The Glintortle is a giant turtle that uses water waves and bubble attacks. Slingshots are ineffective here -- you need a bow with Bomb Arrows. When the turtle retreats into its shell and the shell glows bright blue, that is your window for maximum damage. Deploy Sentry Bots to draw aggro while you focus on shooting. Keep HP-restoring food in your hotbar.

Earn the Intermediate Explorer Certificate and unlock the Mountain & Sea Skewers and Mushroom Basket cooking recipes.

Senior Explorer

Youfang assists with this trial. He asks you to gather Echo Beans and Eldergrains near the Harvest Yard entrance, then repair the Waterwheel elevator mechanism to reach Grain Haven and the areas beyond. There is a second trapped spirit below the main Waterwheel area that you must also free.

By this point in the progression, you should already have the Fire Arrow and Water Arrow blueprints from the Glintortle / Intermediate Explorer arc. These environmental puzzle arrows burn away brambles and grow vine bridges, and both are essential for reaching the deepest parts of the forest.

Other Senior-tier unlocks include the Wood Arrow and Gale Arrow blueprints, the Electric Drill and Chainsaw tool blueprints, and the Eldergrain Roll and Flaming Ice Dumplings cooking recipes.

Expert Explorer

The final tier takes you to the deepest sections of the Moonlit Forest. You face the Ruin Guard (sometimes called The Corrupted), the toughest boss in the game. It has four predictable attack patterns: ore throws, spinning attacks, laser fire, and green energy pulses. Stay mobile (you can ride a skateboard inside the forest), maintain distance for aiming, and hit its glowing weak spots when it staggers after large attacks. If you leave the arena, the boss resets to full health.

Earning the Expert Explorer Certificate unlocks the Crossbow (the most powerful ranged weapon -- its blueprint is a quest reward, not a shop purchase), the Time Arrow blueprint, and the Mystic Egg and Spirit Salad cooking recipes. You also receive the Luna Deer mount as a permanent reward.

Workpedia perks

Spend Starsand Points in the Workpedia phone app to unlock Exploration perks. Points are earned through any productive activity across all professions, so fishing, farming, and crafting all contribute.

Ammo Recycle and Victory Siphon are widely considered the best early investments. Beast Tracker is worth picking up if you find yourself dying often.

Exploration Club shop inventory

Cooking recipes from Exploration

Unlike regular cooking recipes that restore stamina, Exploration cooking recipes restore health, which is only relevant inside the Moonlit Forest.

Tips

• Bring at least 5 Fluorite every time you enter the Moonlit Forest. Each camp requires 5 Fluorite to repair its Moonweaver crystal, which enables crafting and Fast Travel from that camp.

• Short, frequent trips beat long risky ones. Resources in the forest regenerate daily, so there is no penalty for coming back tomorrow.

• Craft 50+ ammo before any boss attempt. Running out mid-fight is the most common way to fail.

• Sit on the Stump Stools scattered around the forest to recover stamina for free.

• Vehicles cannot enter the Moonlit Forest, but skateboards, rollerblades, and hoverboards work inside it. Bring a skateboard for faster movement.

• Mushrooms in the forest cost no energy to pick up. Grab them freely to sell or cook.

• Save Fire and Water Arrows for Environmental Puzzles. Regular arrows and pellets are cheaper for combat.

• Pair Exploration with the Crafting profession. You need crafted weapons and tool upgrades to survive, and the forest provides the rare ores that crafting needs.

• Hold a Treasure Map in your active slot to see a yellow directional arrow pointing toward the treasure location.