Made by @kitchenxtrees
LORE
Who are twenty øne piløts?
Twenty One Pilots are a two-piece band from Columbus, Ohio. Initially a three-piece band, the group was formed in 2009 by lead vocalist Tyler Joseph along with Nick Thomas and Chris Salih, who both left in 2011. Since their departure, the line-up has consisted of Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun. The duo is best known for their singles "Stressed Out", "Ride", and "Heathens.” The duo received a Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards for "Stressed Out".
Starting out, the band independently released two albums, Twenty One Pilots (2009) and Regional at Best (2011), before being signed by record label Fueled by Ramen in 2012. Their label debut Vessel (2013) became the second album in history on which every track received at least a gold certification, making Twenty One Pilots the first and only band to see every song on two albums earn gold or platinum awards.
The duo achieved breakthrough success with their fourth album, Blurryface (2015), and became the first album on which every track received at least a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. The release of "Heathens" also made the group the first alternative artist in history to have two concurrent top five singles in the Billboard Hot 100 and the third rock act in history to have two singles simultaneously chart in the top five of the Billboard Hot 100, joining the Beatles and Elvis Presley.
The duo released three more studio albums, Trench (2018), Scaled and Icy (2021), and Clancy (2024). They have also garnered eleven number-one songs on the Alternative Songs chart, making them the artist with the joint fourth-most number-one songs on the chart.
But don’t just let some facts from wikipedia tell you about them. Let the fans…
anyways….
So, why is there lore?
It’s more than just a story. It’s a vehicle for the message and movement that has been so important to this band and their music since its inception.
Stay Alive.
Stay strong, live on, pass on these songs. Power to the local dreamer.
Don’t put a ceiling on your dreams.
Anyone from anywhere can do anything.
Important Songs from Self-Titled, Regional at Best, and Vessel
Lyrics for the Future
BLURRYFACE ERA
IMPORTANT SONGS
THEMES
2015-2017
CHARACTERS
Blurryface= album
BLURRYFACE= character
Lyrics for the Future
As part of the promotion for the album, a twitter account for BLURRYFACE was created.
The main purpose of the account was to introduce us to the concept of this character before the album release and was a way to tease and “leak” new music through a series of cryptic tweets.
BLURRYFACE is a character created to be a manifestation of insecurities and anxieties.
BLURRYFACE is shown visibly on Tyler through the color red and with the black “blurry” paint.
For Josh, it is also the color red but instead of the blurry paint we get red eyeshadow.
Notice here the lack of red eyeshadow and yellow hair.
Hint, hint….
Musically, BLURRYFACE is present anytime you hear Tyler’s voice pitched down.
This animation from their Emotional Roadshow Tour shows how the album art morphs to create BLURRYFACE.
This is a clip that would play during ERS showcasing Josh’s anxiety.
His BLURRYFACE a.k.a Spooky Jim would repeatedly tell him “Don’t go back on stage.”
And every night Josh would defy him.
“Don't go in the kitchen. You know you shouldn't. What are you looking for? You’re alone. Stay with us. Stay here. Don't go. Don't go. Don't go back on stage.”
After returning to stage, Josh would then proceed to “battle” his BLURRYFACE and win.
Before taking him down though, he gets the crowd’s support.
It is important here to note that while we see Josh actively defy and ultimately defeat his BLURRYFACE, we never see this for Tyler.
And that is because for Tyler, they are one and the same.
Our first real introduction to BLURRYFACE both musically and visually is in their first single Fairly Local.
This set the tone for everything to come. Fairly Local being the first single… very important!
Key Points:
Singles that followed:
Tear in my Heart
Stressed Out
Lane Boy
Ride
Then suddenly tweeted out this riddle.
And that night Tyler…
BLURRYFACE would spend days antagonizing fans.
After, BLURRYFACE went black again. The website, however, went blue.
During this time, twenty one pilots released two very important videos.
This video and Heathens are the beginnings of the cycle theme that becomes present throughout the rest of the narrative.
The video ends just as it began, with Tyler’s death drop.
The final single and music video from Blurryface was HeavyDirtySoul. This solidifies the cycle theme, gives us another look at BLURRYFACE, and is the inciting event for the next era.
Key Points:
June 25, 2017
The end of the Blurryface Era
And then on July 6, 2017…
BLURRYFACE provides a hint.
and so starts the hiatus
Cancer MV
Question time!!
TRENCH ERA
CHARACTERS
IMPORTANT SONGS
THEMES
2018-2021
Lyrics for the Future
On April 21, 2018, a URL hidden in a GIF on the Vessel page of the Twenty One Pilots store was found. The URL, dmaorg.info lead to a 404 Error page:
The still frame from the GIF on the webstore also revealed more of a URL. In between /found and /clancy were a block of 9 dots, with the lower rightmost dot being separated from the rest by an underscore. These dots relate to the songs on the cover of Blurryface, and their track numbers, 1, 5, 3, 9, 8, 6, 4, 2, and 14. These numbers are identical to the violation code found at dmaorg.info. Substituting this code into the URL produced dmaorg.info/found/15398642_14/clancy.html.
At this URL, multiple images were found, along with text which revealed details about a character by the name of Clancy, and his struggle with Dema.
013 01MOON 08
sev_ering__tiez
gEt out. the compAss lies. they don't control you. get out. the compaSs lies. They don't control you. get out. the compass lIeS. they don't control yoU.get out. the comPass lies. they don't control you.
EAST IS UP
We noticed this small notch on the compass. Lining it up with our map of Dema shows how people may have escaped the city previously.
011 07MOON 08
SELF
OG photo depicts Andre Weil and an unknown child. Weil was a member of the Bourbaki Group, known for discovering the empty set symbol "∅" and the dangerous bend symbol “☡.”
UNNAMED (1)
009 12MOON 29
d_e_ath__eat_E_rz
The original is from the Towers of Silence from Zoroastrianism.
988 06MOON 18
CLANCY 988 06MOON 18
BADGE
988 12MOON 01
- The metadata of the file shows a hidden date: cla_ncy-009-06MOON_14_-1 (June 14th, 2009). This is suspected to be the founding of the band and seems to be around the time when they purchased the ‘band house.’
May 9th
017 07MOON 07
Some letters in the journal were purposefully blanked out to spell the message “YOU ARE STILL SLEEPING.”
3lurr.gif
- The full message says "U STILL DONT KNOW HIS REAL NAME DO U?" along with the letters “NICONICO” in each of the spaces between the words -- UNSTILLIDONTCKNOWOHISNREALINAMECDOOU?
- This is a reference to Nico, the only bishop whose name didn’t correlate to his corresponding song in Blurryface, “Stressed Out.”
017 07MOON 16
- The scene is from the movie Duma (2005).
May 31st
__n_ot_myo_nly_fri_en d
- When you put “2018_514_3_8” into the url, substituting the violation code, you are sent to a page with an 8-second audio file of a distorted voice. After heavily editing the recording, it is possible to hear Tyler’s voice.
017 07MOON 17
The file name 2018_514_3_8 translates to tr_en_c_h (1=A, 2=B, etc.)
June 29th
i.gif
018 07MOON 01
017 02MOON 12
July 1st
_e_sr__eve_r_.jpg
- The lines from this journal were stripped and put together to spell a hidden message, visible only with the yellow tape image available in the same update.
- The yellow tape highlights the message “WE ARE BANDITOS” vertically, in reference to the audio file. As the file name suggests, you need to “reverse” the audio to hear the message.
018 07MOON 01
- Six numbers are also visible in the image. When reordered, they spell the violation code on the Trench page: 20-18-5-14-3-8.
- The letters “E N D” are circled in yellow.
July 5th
- The picture shows a relatively flat structure in the distance, close to the left border before the incline, with a centerpiece protruding from its silhouette. It is later revealed that this is a silhouette of Dema.
- The file name implies that this is Clancy finally looking back at Dema after they have escaped from the city.
018 07MOON 05
_o__ut_.jpg
he_a_vy.jpg
- Unlike the other journals, this one has a black background and white text.
- Nine pairs of white squares point to six different letters vertically placed above or below the squares in the journal (the number of squares specifying the number of lines into the paragraph to count up/down). The letters spell the message “WAKE UP.”
018 07MOON 05
And then on July 6, 2018…
_they_ca_ntseeFCE300.gif
- “FCE300” is the hexadecimal code for a specific shade of yellow. The file name, along with the previous journal, suggests that the bishops or the “watchers” are unable to see this color.
018 07MOON 06
_note.gif
- Clancy’s first manuscript is written on the back of an inverted photo, available in the same update.
July 8th
018 07MOON 08
2_1_2.gif
018 07MOON 08
- The file name “2_1_2” hints at a future change in the band’s logo: |-/ → ||-//
- The photo shows an inverted photo of a body laying on the ground in Trench, which is later revealed to be Tyler in the “Jumpsuit” MV.
- The first handwritten Clancy letter is written on the back of this image.
And we can now connect three of the pictures we have received.
Key Points:
A Car
018 07MOON 18
- The new note, added one week after the release of the “Jumpsuit” music video, describes its events from Clancy’s perspective, watching Tyler getting smeared in Trench before running away.
- The description confirms that Clancy is neither Tyler nor Josh (who was standing on the cliff), as well as the fact that Clancy has never seen the Banditos before.
July 18th
unalone.gif
Key Points:
A Torch
Msilaiv ecnuoned ew (we denounce vialism)
Tsae eurt daeh dna amed evael lliw uoy (you will leave Dema and head true East)
Sotidnab era ew (we are Banditos)
Josh’s Birthday
Key Points:
A Death
Foreshadowing……….
Charles-Denis Bourbaki
Charles-Denis Bourbaki was a successful general during the era of Napoleon III, serving in the Crimean War and other conflicts. During the Franco-Prussian war however, Bourbaki suffered a major defeat in which the Armée de l'Est, under his command, retreated across the Swiss border and was disarmed. Rather than submit to the humiliation of a probable surrender, Bourbaki had delegated his functions to General Justin Clinchant on 26 January 1871, and tried to commit suicide that night. He fired a pistol at his forehead, but the bullet somehow "flattened as if against a cast-iron plate" and his life was saved. The dramatic story of his defeat was known in the French popular consciousness following his death.
The Bourbaki Group
Bourbaki was founded in response to the effects of the First World War which caused the death of a generation of French mathematicians.
The group was started by a man named Andre Weil…
17-35.4527.jpg
- The file name references the scientific properties of chlorine. Chlorine has the atomic number 17 and has an atomic mass of 35.4527.
- Underneath the image, there is a “<.” This is presumably part of the Ned emoji that Tyler has created. [<{•.•}>].
- The journal has some letters doubled beneath it that spell "sodeepnedbayou.” This references the “we are banditos” audio, specifically how it is said forward to achieve the phrase backwards.
- Updated twice to correct grammar (that -> than, happened -> happen), the changes can be arranged to spell `NED`, the name of the character in the Chlorine music video.
019 01MOON 22
January 22, 2019
-DMAORG RETURNS APRIL 02, 2021-
Question time!!
Scaled and Icy Era
IMPORTANT SONGS
2021-2023
CHARACTERS
THEMES
Lyrics for the Future
April 2, 2021
- At around 3PM, dmaorg.info received its first update since the fourth journal entry was added in January 2019 (Chlorine Update).
- The entire website has been inverted, now appearing black with the images also showing up inverted.
- A progress bar was added to the top of the page, showing the progress of “//Terminating Files.”
- There is also one significant update to one of the files contained previously on the page:
- While the name of the file did not change nor did the MOON date above it, the color of the tape has been altered. The image currently shows up on the inverted site as a paler blue tape while the original image seems to be a paler red tape.
April 5th
- As expected, the loading bar reached 100% on April 5th, at 3PM EST. After this, the website refreshed itself and all of its previous content disappeared, being replaced by an error message titled “Account Terminated”.
- When the infraction number (3.12.1.14.3.25 9.19 4.5.1.4) is translated (using A=1, B=2, etc.), it spells out “CLANCY IS DEAD”.�
- Moreover, in the error message, the letter o in the word offender turns into an ø when you hover it. By clicking it, a poster advertising a new album and a livestream pops up. In total, there are three posters. The text at the bottom of each poster reads as follows:
“Scaled and Icy and Twenty One Pilots – Livestream Experience is presented in association with DMA ORG and Good Day Dema. The views and opinions expressed on this program are those of The Sacred Municipality of Dema and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the artist. Any content provided during this filmed performance event is property of DMA ORG. 3.12.1.14.3.25 9.19 4.5.1.4”
- The dragon on the album cover has lines on its body which look exactly like the aerial view of Clancy Way - a street in Columbus, Ohio, where the music videos for Truce and Goner were filmed. Additionally, another set of lines resemble letters spelling "DESTROY".
- The acronym “FPE” (previously meaning “the Few, the Proud, the Emotional” from the Blurryface song “Fairly Local” and also “Failed Perimeter Escape” from the dmaorg file ba_dge.jpg) reappears once again in the posters as an abbreviation for “Feature Event Performance”.
ψ=psi Scaled And Icy= SAI
The Livestream Experience
Key Points:
“It seemed like pure chance to wash up where we did.
As I followed him across the small, frigid island a few things happened:
Feeling came back to my hands and feet, we were given dry clothes, and I began to realize - chance had nothing to do with this place.”
March 16, 2022
The dmaorg website has reverted back to its original format rather than the ‘Account terminated’ version from the livestream.
022 03MOON 16
v-o-lds-ø-y.jpg
- This new map notably combines the jumpsuit medallion, known to be a map of Trench, and the map of DEMA into a much larger map that showcases where they are in relation to each other as well as two new points of interest: Port Vial and Voldstøy.
- “Voldsøy” is Norwegian for “island of violence.”
- This map has the DEMA seal, implying that it is approved by the Bishops, yet the compass shows the Banditos’ version, where east is pointed up.
is-ø-lat-ed.jpg
- The new note perfectly describes the events of the Scaled and Icy Livestream Experience as well as the “Saturday” music video from Clancy’s perspective. Notably, Clancy’s perspective here is the same exact perspective as what we believed to be Tyler’s in both of those events. This implies that in some way, Clancy’s visage is very similar to Tyler’s. It is important to point out that in the previous handwritten note, Clancy was watching Tyler get smeared, meaning they are not entirely the same.
- Clancy mentions a “Torchbearer” in this note, whom we have always associated with Josh in previous updates. This could be related to the photo that Tyler posted the day before, which depicts Josh leading Tyler with a torch raised.
April 17th
022 03MOON 17
V
before this, the odds seemed insurmountable.
but now, an equalizer.
everything will be in position. all of the pieces on the board, ready for the final push.
022 03MOON 18
w-eap-ø–n.jpg
April 18th
“seize available vessel
at Voldsøy eastern cove
intercept bishops.
glorious gone = available vessel
bishops control the available vessel!
intercept and seize
they will make you a weapon.”
- This file seems to signify a plan for weaponizing one of the bishops as a vessel once they achieve “glorious gone,” a phrase we know from past lyrics and the livestream concert’s control room to mean death.
“seize keons”
Key Points:
022 03MOON 18
-Split the numbers into alphabetical sequences, which is the word "psychokinesis". The name comes from a previous file that was uploaded on the same day.
1619250308151109140519-Ø-919.jpg
- Clancy mentions a “neurological connection or expansion” in this letter, a reference to Ned which was revealed to stand for “neuro-expansion device” in 2019. In this case, Ned’s horns are the key to how Clancy/Tyler reaches out and controls the available vessel of Keons.
After the release of the music video, the significance of w-eap-ø-n.jpg becomes clear. The images on the right-hand side of the file correspond directly to the movements Clancy/Tyler does in “The Outside” music video, a dance that ends up letting them take control of Keons’ dead body and destroying one of the towers of Dema.
During Icy Tour, the blue door mentioned in the most recent Clancy letter made an appearance.
The Message Man ritual. Usually Tyler would stand at the edge of the crowd and fling the black paint on us.
This is definitely meant to represent smearing.
Notable moments from festivals…
and that was all until…
Ned’s Cozy Fireplace
Question time!!
Clancy Era
2024-Present
Characters:
Important Songs:
Lyrics for the Future
February 15th, 2024
BLURRYFACE tweet promoting HDS MV
Tyler liked this tweet hinting at the red tape over the eyes
Shortly after, fans began receiving mail from DEMA seemingly taken from Clancy’s belongings.
The fineprint on the bottom of the first page says "take excessive measures in attempting to correct or make amends for an error, weakness, or problem" - this is the Oxford dictionary definition of overcompensate.
The double letters spell out “Still Alive.”
The double letters in this spell out “MERUOIRNPEPA” but if you unscramble them it says “PRAEMUNIRE.”
More references to 2/29
February 22nd
The clique was now on the hunt for parallels and references to this era’s colors.
Posters with the new logo and colors were posted in several different cities.
The german voice we hear at the end of the recap video is in reference to this Clancy letter.
February 28th
There were three Clancy letters uploaded on this day. The first being a copy of the letter that was mailed out to different members of the clique.
filename is _ev-i-D__ence.jpg
file name:_maniac_Clay
Rearrange the letters and it says “I am Clancy.”
The double letters spell out
“Follow the torchbearers.”
file name: __cla_im00FFFF.jpeg
#00FFFF is the hex code for the colour cyan, making this another anagram for “I am Clancy.”
the double letters spell out "fly by"
It always seems to come back to this. Red vs. Blue
#ff0000
#00ffff
The album cover was leaked and many were quick to notice our old friend BLURRYFACE hidden in the flames.
The first single off the album is “Overcompensate.” It has many similarities with Blurryface’s leading single “Fairly Local.”
Key Points:
Key Points:
Key Points:
“I still think I am going to answer that question, and I’m going to know, and when I know for sure…what’s the end goal? Where am I going? Is there heaven? Is there hell? Is there a God? And the process I’ve been on [for] this record is the closest I’ve been to entertaining a world where there isn’t a God. And that’s total transparency. And that is hard to say. It’s a new struggle for me. But I really want to own it.” -Tyler Joseph
Josh is the father, son, and holy ghost??
This is a scrapped song found in the Digital Remains files. It was mentioned in the I Am Clancy video.
This definitely felt like a hint that something was hidden in the files…
Seemingly out of nowhere the band added two songs to Vessel. This made it so that every album (except SAI) had 14 tracks in total.
We started to realize the pictures from the Digital Remains fit together like a puzzle. But we had hit a dead end. Unsure that this was actually leading anywhere…
Until…
BLURRYFACE provides us a hint to solve the puzzle, find a new website with a password, and access the site to find a teaser of Paladin Strait.
The Paladin Strait music video was announced the following morning and BLURRYFACE was up to his old tricks again.
The mv announcement notably called this the 13th track on Clancy, not the final.
“Days feel like a perfect length don’t need them any longer…”
Tyler got on twitter following the release of the mv and immediately threw the fanbase into a frenzy by liking some very specific tweets.
CLANCY ULTIMUS CAPITULUS 25
Simone Weil
Simone Weil was a French philosopher and political-activist. She was described as having "a precocious gift for sympathy—and more than a hint of masochism. She sought out the darkness to escape the comfortable bourgeois life."
Simone Weil's death was considered a suicide. She starved herself, a hunger strike, in sympathy of starving French compatriots, and died of malnutrition.
"Weil" (pronounced vile) sounds like a connection to Vialism.
A quick google of “Weilsim” finds a man saying he
was going to perform a movement called "Weilism" where he would also go on a hunger strike.
He then goes onto use quite religious language when describing Simone Weil's work. Usually a "fast" is something people do as a religious practice, however this man seems to be performing this act to honour his father, and as part of his political movement for the elections.
Vialism and the glorious gone in lore is when suicide is glorified as a way of reaching paradise. This man is glorifying Simone Weil's suicide.
Kenosis. Not only does Kenosis sound like the name Keons, but this is basically a lyric in Overcompensate. "Overtake your former self". Kenosis is also described as self-emptying. A way to become an available vessel.
Creation of DEMA…
This is reminiscent of being “smeared”
Between the parallels to different lyrics and Clancy’s descriptions of DEMA, there’s no denying that there was some kind of inspiration here. But what…?
WE MUST
Dear Eliot,
I am filled WWith trepidation, nervous that my instincts could be wrong. But I must admit that I see something in you. SomEEthing that doesn't exist in the other citizens of this lifeless construct. I've noticed the way you look at my art, like you see something deeper in it, something the others do not see. It calls you -- and maybe that's because I'm screaming for commonality with every brush stroke. You are the only one seeing what I hope for soMMeone to see. My art, I hope, cries for freedom from these confines, and a whisper against the oppressive forces of the bishops - a whisper that has become a scream. Clancy's bravery has been an inspiration to me, and has inspired this art - I only hope that I'm right to assUUme that you see the hues that the others cannot. I hope that this fire you feel can motivate you to join our cause. I think you are one of uSS, and we need you more TThan ever. Will you join us?
Hoping,
Aria
DEST
Dear Aria,
Guilty as chargeDD. I feel it too, and I do see the fire in your artwork. It caused me to detect a like-minded rebEEllion in you. It stirred something in me - a feeling that has been dormant for so long, that its re-emergence has invigorated me with newfound a tenacity -- a tenacity that I almost forgot I possessed. I too have been inspired by Clancy's boldness. Finally there is someone that SSeems brave enough to lead us in some sort of uprising. I do want to be part of this. There are so many things to fear, but perhaps my biggesTT fear is to do nothing. I am here, and I will go into battle. I will support the uprising in any way I can.
East is up,
Eliot
ROY
Dear Jansen,
You have been a faithful and obedient loyalist to the bishops. TheRRe is honor in such dilligence. But as scared as I am to confront your dedication, I have to urge to look deeper to find the truth in the bishops, and how they have come intOO power. There are cracks, and these cracks should be peered into, searching for revelation. They are not a force of good, they are merely a force of tradition. I have dug deeper, and I know this tradition has dark secrets, and this "Gone" that they proclaim as honorable, I assure you, is anything but. I have found true freedom outside of these walls, and I YYearn to return to that wild freedom. But we need help from people like you, people on the inside of the towers. I wouldn't be asking you if I hadn't detected a hint of doubt in the validity of Vialism. I believe you do see the cracks. I'm hoping we can break them open. I hope you join us in destroying this tyranny. I hope you join our quest for actual glory.
Sincerely,
Mara
THEM OR
Dear Mara,
I am, and always have been, a devout Vialist. I obey, and give TThanks to the Glorious, like any good citizen should. This tradition is a comfort to me, and it is what I know. But I indeed have seen cracks. THHe bishops, our symbol of stoic control, have become frantic, and for the first time, unclear and worried about what is next. Keons meant everything to me, and it's not the same without him here. But I'm now seeing that Keons was what I admired, not Vialism. I don't even know what it means to be a Vialist anymore. I see them diffEErently, I see deception. I see rage. Your letter has confirmed some of my doubts, and has begun to ignite a new passion to destroy this construct that has deceived me for so long. You're right, the only glorious guest (quest?) left is beyond these walls. Clancy has exposed cracks that I am now ready to break open. We have to act fast, before the bishops have a chance to react. I aMM willing to take the risk and stand OOn the side of tRRuth.
Sahlo,
Jansen
WE W
Dear Leo,
I've noticed you in the square - the WWay you stare at the structures of our city, and even more, the way you trace invisible paths beneath the ground and up the towEErs. There are few engineers in Dema, and your skill and knowledge might be quite valuable to our movement. But only if you feel it -- an unshakable yearning that we must stop the oppression in this city, once and for all. I can only hope that this legend of Clancy has created a wonder in you. We need your help. Your knoWWledge of the hidden structures of this city could give us the upper hand in catching the bishops off-guard. Will you join us?
Best,
Nia
ILL BE
Dear Nia,
I'm embarrassed. For the hours that drIIft off, following the city's hidden catacombs, it's never crossed my mind that someone would notice my absent-mindedness. It's true, I've memorized these paths, and followed them through this concrete facade more times than I could possibLLy count. It's an obsession, and I know them like the back of my hand. Because I, LLike the movement you speak of, dream of escape. I have several methods that I've played out, but even if I make it outside, the bishops will find me, no matter how deep in Trench I get, and take me back. Just like Clancy's message has assured us, destroying this vialistic system is the only help. Our enemy is not this structure, our enemy is their lies. I want to BBe part of what you arEE planning.
United,
Leo
COME
Dear Fredrik,
The library must be a boring plaCCe - maybe the most boring part of our already dreadful concrete prison. But you don't seem like a librarian. You seem to have found a role in this city that allows you access to information and texts that most of us are unaware of. In fact, some of us have heard rumors of your stOOries, and our movement has become quite intrigured with your knowledge. There's more than they're telling us, we know that. We all theorize about the ancient Vialist texts, and wonder about how ancient they really are. We could use your knowledge. Your knowledge can help confirMM our suspicions, and inspire our quest to end the suffering of our people. We know they have lied to us, and you can prove it. PlEEase consider hearing our plan.
Warmly,
Sara
THEM
Dear Sara,
I suppose I haven't hidden myself as well as I had hoped. Perhaps my arrogance at times has let my tongue slip in a conversation or TTwo -- and word has gotten around. It doesn't take too long here. Rumors seem to bounce off the circular walls quite rapidly, and here I am, already hearing my own echo. It's true - I know more tHHan they want me to. I've found more than I should have. I have read contraband documents that make it increasingly difficult to stay silent. In this new age of Clancy's uprising - his fight is sparking emotions that most of us have nevEEr felt. Rebellion is contagious. I want to be a part of it. Let's MMeet.
Ignited,
Fredrik
AND IF
Dear Rayana,
You're just a silhouette to me. But your dances hAAve become the moment that I look forward to most each day. Have you snuck a music box into your room or is there a song playing in your head? Your movements feel like peace to me, like you're translating freedom to this confined population. I want to hear what you're hearing. I often imagined my own soNNg that matches your movements, and someday I hope I can sing it to you.
I have to confess; My admiration for you is not my only reason for writing. It's clear you have seen freeDDom. I know you've made it outside once or twice, and this seems to be how you tell your tale. There's so many of us that want to feel whatever you've felt - to know what weightlessness could possess someone to move as freely as you do. Clancy's audacIIty has awakened something in us all, and a soul as beautiful as yours must want to get out again. Maybe you want to get out once and for all. I would love to tell you our plan.
Chasing FFreedom,
Barea
WE B
Dear Barea,
That's me. I've always thought of myself as a lighthouse, and less like a silhouette, but I'm sure my window looks more mysterious than that shoWW that I'm putting on in my head. A lighthouse, I suppose, that may only be a beacon of hope, not one of dry land. I have been out there, and it's beautiful. Terrifying at times, but beautiful. They've brought me back, but they can't take those beautiful moments away from me. I remember them evEEry night, and play them over and over in my head, dancing as if to retrace my steps on a new way out. I too have been a quiet ally of Clancy, and his initiative gives me hope that we could get out, and never be brought back. I want you all to feel what I felt out there. Let me help aid your plan in any way possible - there is BBeauty out there that we all need to see.
The silhouette,
Rayana
ECOME
Dear Kinton,
I was the girl that put the yEEllow flower in your front pocket as you stood guard. I think I saw a smirk. We notice you daily, and take wagers on what day you'll finally crack. But you stand at your post, solid as a statue, day after day. I must admit it bothered me at first. As I open my eyes more and more to the CCorruption of this system that keeps our spirits confined. I often feel a distaste for every institutional fixture that supports it. I've OOften viewed you as one of these fixtures. Hardened, and unable to feel the weightlessness of the death eaters. But recently, I've realized you're just like me. While I had been assigned to the Necropolis gardens, you've been assigned to your post. Still. Unwavering. MMy days in the garden are lighter than your days against concrete -- and I've felt compassion for you. So I picked the flower. I'm not sure if you know the significance of the hue, but if you do, I would love to discuss. Your strEEngth could be of great help to us.
In Bloom,
Jirita
THEM WE
Dear Jirita,
Pretty name. Pretty flower. I wondered if we'd ever get to speak. It's not every day that a citizen 'decorates' me like you did, but I've certainly endured worse. I TThought I would be reprimanded, but then I rememebered they couldn't see it anyway. Jusr a lifeless weed in my pocket from tHHeir perspective. I wonder if they can even see the vibrance of their robes. I wonder if they even remEEmber what colors are. You were a great distraction that day. My bishop seemed more volatile than usual, and said that I had lost my dedication. There's some truth to that, because when no one's around, I'm only looking up -- tortured by the wonder of what the vultures see, as they pass in and out of the walls so freely. An arMMed guard, obsessed with trash dragons, he said. How did he even know I was looking? But I daydream of the other side of the wall, and when I saw the flower, I knew you must daydream too. The serendipitous nature of the moment I found quite amusing. But more importantly, the rebellious nature of this mysterious plan has me quite intrigured. I WWould love to know morEE.
Smirking,
Kinton
MUST
Dear Pierre,
Your blackened hands is a dead giveaway that your work is done below the towers. You get bread every seven days, and never saw a word, but the black hands that take the bread tell me everything I need to know about your day. You work in death. Sorry - you work in Glory. But I know you work in an amazing eleMMent, with properties that fascinate most of us above the surface. The alchemy of it all seems fascinating and I woUUld love to learn more. Would you want to teach me? In fact, I'm part of a group that is quite curious, and if you're interested, you could even join us. I'm sure it's lonely down there - SSaddened by the gone, as you bend and twist their gravestones. I'm sure you see their faces, or remember your encounters with them. We all miss them, but you have to see them all off. I'm sure it feels wrong at times. I would love to talk about that too. We could meeTT in your district if you find a short leave. I can't wait to learn more.
Curious,
Karta
DO
Dear Karta,
If you only knew how long I spend washing my hands you woulDD know how embarrassed I am. They don't want anyone to know what we do down here. There were even laws written about what we inhale, and how deeply our skin gets stained. But you must be the baker -- the sleuth whOO found me out. You're right - it's an odd daily ritual down in this cellar. Manipulating fire and elements to craft a monument for the latest Glorious Gone. I can tell you that after this many years down here, the glory has indeed faded. It's only sadness. There was a time where I believed it was truth, but that time passed, and only stains remain. I want to teach you what I know. Even more, I want to teach you how I believe we can break the cycle.
Yours,
Pierre
BETTER
Dear Clancy,
You are what they said you were. I see the weathering on your face, and the journey you've BBeen on. Although we were away, I hope you now know that I've never left you. It's time, Clancy. They believe in the movEEment. They are ready for TThis oppression to end. They are ready to defeaTT this archaic rule once and for all. We can meet out in Trench at camp to lay out our plan. We will bring you evEErything you need. We have support from yellow and red now, and our militia is strong. No matter what, when that day comes, we will get you to the toweRR.
Covering you,
TB
THE ENEMIES OF THE CITY ARE PLANNING TO TAKE YOUR CITY FROM YOU
WE HAVE WATCHED THEIR PLANS COME TOGETHER
THE SACRED MUNICIPALITY OF DEMA WILL KEEP YOU SAFE
REPORT ANY UNUSUAL PERIMETER ACTIVITY IMMEDIATELY
WE MUST DESTROY THEM OR WE WILL BECOME THEM
AND IF WE BECOME THEM WE MUST DO BETTER
And then…..
Question time!!
this is a story about cycles, and trying to break them.
about discerning between external and internal attacks.
and about balance.
a balance between being saved by a friend,
and saving yourself.
the end
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