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Original dmaorg files

The main dmaorg website started off with five images on its page. Over time, more images were added with each passing update. Each image has a unique file name and features a MOON date above it, which is a date shown in a <YYY MM(MOON) DD> format on the site - the YYY corresponds to the last three digits of the year. Most MOON dates correlate to either a relevant date in the band's history or, in later updates, the day of the current update.

info

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988 06MOON 18​

Alt text: Scan of typed journal page that is torn/cut on the right side. Handwritten signature at the bottom reads &quot;Clancy&quot;. Different handwriting on torn edge reads &quot;West wall blocked. East is Up.&quot;

File name: clancy-988-06MOON_18-1.jpg

Additional Info:

  • The MOON date (June 18th, 1988) is Josh Dun’s birthday.
  • The handwriting on the right side of the page spells “WEST WALL BLOCKED / EAST IS UP.” It’s a different handwriting than the one in Clancy’s signature and it’s suspected to be Josh’s handwriting.
  • The metadata of the file reveals a hidden MOON date: clancy-009-06MOON_14-1 (June 14th, 2009). Although it is not confirmed, the date is suspected to be the founding of the band, as it seems to be around the time when they purchased the ‘band house’ where their first album was recorded.

        Alt text: Gif showing how the metadata of the journal image can be found.

  • Trivia: Older videos from the band (such as “Goner” and “Truce”) were filmed in a street called “Clancy Way” in Columbus, Ohio.
  • Note: In the last paragraph, there is a mistake where Clancy writes “inhabitants his region” instead of “inhabitants of his region” or “inhabiting his region.”

Transcription of the journal:

The perplexities of the Dema horizon didn't occur to me until my ninth year. It was then that I began to contemplate the existential, and decide what type of impression I wanted my life to make. Naturally, to fuel my hope, I looked out upon the distance of the land that had cultivated me, only this time with new awareness of the obstruction that my youthful ignorance had allowed me to overlook. Was it there the whole time? How had I not seen something so obvious? I am reminded of the moment daily, as the realization directly collides with a unique hope for my own future. As a child, I looked upon Dema with wonder, today, I am wrought with frustration, as I spend each day squinting for a glimpse of the top of the looming wall that has kept us here. It was upon my ninth year that I learned that Dema wasn't my home. This village, after all of this time, was my trap.

Before I became realized, I had deep affection for Dema. There was a wonderful structure to the city that put my cares to rest. Streets and locations were dependable, and the responsibilities of the day seemed to be accomplished with minimal effort. Once a task was taught and understood, we delighted in our ability to complete our obligations timely, and felt secure in knowing tomorrow's duties would be accomplished with the same efficiency. We all worked to represent our bishop with honor, and knew that each inhabitant of our region had a like-minded dedication to consistency.

Keons embodied the spirit of this dedication. Of Dema's nine bishops, Keons was revered as unwavering and forthright, possessing the ability to achieve focus that was rare for most in our region. We all admired him, and felt honored to be inhabitants his region. While we had heard legend of the ruthlessness of other bishops, Keons possessed a stoic demeanor unlike anyone I had ever met, and we were all proud to serve.

988 12MOON 01​

Alt text: Low quality black and white scan of a paper badge. Image at top of badge is cut off, but is the band&#39;s former F P E logo. Badge reads: Identified as Failed Perimeter Escape by DEMA Council. Violation of section 1 5 3 9 8 6 4 2 14 of Vialist code of conduct.

File name: ba_dge.jpg

Additional Info:

  • The MOON date (December 1st, 1988) is Tyler Joseph’s birthday.
  • The upper border of the picture shows a stamp with the letters “FPE” cropped in half. It references the lyric “the Few, the Proud, the Emotional” from the Blurryface song “Fairly Local” - now turned into an acronym for “Failed Perimeter Escape.”

009 12MOON 29​

Alt text: Halftone image of vultures sitting on stone wall.

File name: unnamed (1).jpg

Additional Info:

  • The MOON date (December 29th, 2009) is the release date of the self-titled album ("Twenty One Pilots").
  • The picture has the following caption below it: d_e_ath__eat_E_rz
  • The half-toned picture shows a line of vultures watching over the walls of a Parsi Tower of Silence ("dakhma"), an ancient circular raised structure used by the Zoroastrians for exposure of the dead to scavenging birds.

The original photo:

Alt text: Original image of vultures on wall not edited in halftone.

011 07MOON 08​

Alt text: Halftoned image of a child with arm raised to cover their face. Child has short dark hair, a white long sleeved shirt, dark shorts, and is wearing a small crossbody bag.

File name: se__elf.jpg

Additional Info:

  • The MOON date (July 8th, 2011) is the release date of the album Regional at Best.
  • This picture is a half-toned, cropped version of a photo (taken on December 31st, 1955) featuring Andre Weil on the left and a child, whose identity is yet unknown, covering their face. Andre Weil was a famous mathematician who introduced the use of “∅” to denote the empty set (used on the TØP official logo). He was also a member of a group of mathematicians known as the Bourbaki group, which collectively wrote under the pseudonym "Nicolas Bourbaki".

        Alt text: Uncropped black and white image of child not edited in halftone. Child shown standing next to adult man with short dark hear wearing dark long sleeved shirt, dark pants, black boots, and glasses. Man has jacket hanging from one arm and both hands on hips. Both are standing on a dirt road and trees can be seen in background.

013 01MOON 08​

Alt text: Dark grey map with top left corner torn off. In center of map is a circular area with lines of small concentric rectangles inside labeled necropolis. Inside that is a dark circle labeled Limit and Glorious Vista. Inside that are 9 districts arranged in a circle, each labeled with a name that corresponds to a dot in the center. At very center of map are 9 dots arranged in a square. Each dot has a name written above it.

File name: _ti_su_p.png

Additional Info:

  • The MOON date (January 8th, 2013) is the release date of the album Vessel.
  • The picture has the following caption below it: sev_ering__tiez
  • The map shows a simplified, birds’ eye view of the ‘Sacred Municipality of DEMA,’ which strongly resembles the structure of a Tower of Silence.
  • The missing corner of the map contained a compass hidden through transparency that could only be revealed by digitally recoloring the blank space of the the original image that was posted. The map currently displayed on the site does not feature this corner anymore.

        Alt text: Corner of map that was torn off. Shows a directional compass and reads DEMA. Sacred Municipality of Dema. United Vialists.

  • Nine circles, along with nine names, are visible in the center of the map - one for each song on the Blurryface album cover and each respective Bishop.

The text under the caption of the map says:

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.

As previously suggested in the 404 error page, the message once again hints that EAST IS UP in the capital letters. When the map is turned 90° to the left so that "east is up", the nine circles and their names then correspond to the nine circles on the Blurryface album cover, each representing one song. Moreover, the name written besides each circle corresponds with lyrics from the respective song.

ANDRE = And repeat yesterday's dance

Fairly Local


LISDEN = All I feel is denial

Polarize


KEONS = Choke on smoke

Heavydirtysoul


REISDRO = Temperature is dropping

Doubt


SACARVER = She's a carver

Tear in my Heart


NILLS = Beaten down I'll slip away

Goner


VETOMO = Will they be alive tomorrow

Lane Boy


LISTO = List of people

Ride


note

The only name that has never matched any lyrics was Nico, which should have corresponded to the song “Stressed Out.” Originally, it was thought to be “Nigo” - but even then, it still would not have fit the lyrics, as they are “when I get older,” not “got older.”

In the Dema universe, each name on the map corresponds to a Bishop and each Bishop has a district in Dema.

Alt text: Image comparing the Blurryface album cover to the nine dots on the map. Blurryface album cover on the left, map on the right, and the album cover rotated to fit the map in the center.

The violation code also corresponds to the track numbers of the songs displayed on the cover of Blurryface.

Alt text: Blurryface album cover with yellow lines going from left to right through each of the nine patterned dots. Each dot displays the name of the song it corresponds with along with it&#39;s number in the track listing of the album. In order: Heavydirtysoul, Tear in my Heart, Ride, Polarize, Doubt, Lane Boy, Fairly Local, Stressed out, Goner. Bottom of image shows all the numbers in order as the appear on the cover. 1 5 3 9 8 6 4 2 14.