Asphodel Meadow

The Order of Dimiour (Dreambinders)

The Order of Dimiour is an organization existing since the 1800, founded by the Locke family after discovering the concept of Dreamweaving. The Dreambinders have, by 'binding' Oneiroi through consistent focus, created their own paradise in the second realm: a city named Dimiour.
It is the Dreambinders' goal to protect Dimiour and eventually create a permanent, private and unblemished residence there for all members of the Order.

Asphodel Meadow is the Dreambinders' home in the first realm, a place where knowledge is passed down the generations. It is lead by the three founding families.

Structure

Dormitories and Kitchens

Large multiple-story building housing AM residents in rooms for 2-5 people. Kitchens and dining hall are collectively managed by all Dreambinders. Beds are designed to be comfortable and curtained off in order to prevent waking up at unwanted times.

Community Space

Community rooms, such as a children’s room, youth room, quiet room and creative spaces.

Alumni's Work Space

Building for offices and meeting rooms, mostly for collectors. Includes a room for printing and book-binding.

Library

Library managed by collector alumni for students and other research. The library burned down in 19XX and was rebuilt, though a lot of the collection was lost.

Collector's Wing, Weaver's Wing

Classrooms, training and examination rooms, most of which are for Collectors' and Weavers' purposes.

Guardians' Training Hall and Training Ground

Classrooms, training and examination rooms, most of which are for Guardians’ purposes. Large outside area for physical training.

Courtyard and Gardens

Open courtyard with benches and a large fountain, including a garden kept by AM residents.

Production Halls

Building for the production of AM-specific clothing, weapons and merging glass.

Ceremonial Crescent

Most beautiful building in AM with a painted, church-like ceiling. Used for ceremonies such as subgroup alignments, graduations and honorings.

Dormant Halls

Below the Ceremonial Crescent, the first layer bodies of permanent Dimiour residents are tended to.

Locke Residence

Housing Locke family members.

Morgentau Residence

Used to house Morgentau family members, but was destroyed in 19XX. Reality is unstable here and it is advised to keep distance.

History

Asphodel Meadow was once simply a house near Edinburgh inhabited by the Locke family in 18XX. Adelaide and Hezechia Locke lived there with their father, psychiatrist Julian Robert Locke. In an attempt to help their little brother, Oliver Locke, who was suffering, unbeknownst to the family, with schizophrenia, the sisters attempted to invade his dreams in order to cure him of his delusions. This didn‘t work, and unfortunately Oliver passed away only a few years later of an unrelated illness.
After this first attempt at Dreamwalking, though, Adelaide and Hezecha discovered more and more possibilities of manipulating dreams. Along with their father, they laid the groundwork for the theory of the second layer.

After their father‘s passing, the two sisters remained unmarried and with enough money to sustain themselves. They spent their time researching dreams, and became known for these odd choices. Asphodel Meadow became a hub for learning the curiosities of dreams.Regulars who helped out with research and listened to the women‘s teachings dubbed themselves Reverists.

Towards the end of her life, Hezecha wanted to figure out a way to live on. Struggling with her faith, she wanted to create a real and tangible Heaven so she wouldn‘t have to die in uncertainty. Once she managed to create and stabilize the Weaver‘s tower, she began recruiting Reverists to join in her venture of creating paradise. They named the city they were building ‚Dimiour‘ and laid the groundwork of today’s Wisteria Borough. This is why Hezecha is considered the first starpainter.
Adelaide, considering Hezecha‘s plans to go against God‘s will, left the project and joined a nunnery, in which she died a few months later of unexplained causes.

After Hezecha’s passing, the reverists lost the Locke house as there were no more family members left who had claim on the house. Word had gotten around about Adelaide‘s death and townsfolk blamed the Reverists for what had happened.
A relative (great uncle) of the sisters, Zachariah Locke, who had before lived as a recluse due to what Julian Locke described as neurasthenia, allowed the reverists refuge in his home tucked away in the Highlands.Through generations, this house was changed and expanded upon, until it finally became the Asphodel Meadow of the present.

Education in Asphodel Meadow

Until the age of 12, AM residents receive a basic education of writing, maths and science.
At 12 they, additionally, become students.
There is no maximum age of entering the rank of student, though, so even when a 60 year old joins they automatically become a student starting their education from scratch.

They begin with their introduction to the 2nd realm and the culture of the Dreambinders. To test this foundational knowledge, students must pass their first examination. This usually happens at age 13-15, depending on learning speed.
Students have infinite tries to pass this test until they turn 20 (or 10 years have passed since their first attempt).

Only after passing this examination are students made to specialize into a subgroup. This is done through extensive personality testing. Depending on which subgroup a student is sorted into, their education differs.

After 4-5 years, Collector and Guardian students complete their theoretical and practical examination. Weaver students only complete their theoretical examination. Students have 3 tries to pass these tests. After these examinations, it’s impossible to switch subgroup.

Once passed, they’re allowed to be trial residents (Guests) of Dimiour. During 1-2 years, they learn to apply their knowledge in the second realm.
After passing an evaluation for Collectors and Guardian students (where students are shadowed for 3 days in Dimiour)/ the Weaver students’ practical examination, the guests are finally allowed to consider themselves Dreambinders.

After this, Collectors and Guardians can become field-specific assistants of Dreambinders who work their future job. Through this, they transition into their eventual occupation in Dimiour.

Weavers additionally have to choose a Weaving specialty in the categories Sight, Smell, Sound, Touch and Collective. Only after finishing this part of their education are they considered a Dreambinder.

If, after their theoretical examinations, students discover they have little talent or desire to work in Domiour, they can become Alumni and be stationed in Asphodel Meadow.
Some jobs (such as ambassadors) require working in both Layers. Alumni can become professors, medics, librarians or lead production in the production halls through going through a phase of being field-specific assistants.

Because AM places importance on efficiency and secrecy, failing the second examinations (theoretical and practical) a third time leads to expulsion from the organization and therefore execution. Failing the first examination after the age of 20 (or 10 years after the first attempt) leads to the same.
Failing one’s evaluation a third time means taking on a lower Alumni position. If this is done, the student may try again in 10 years. If not, the student is expelled. If the student chooses not to try their evaluation again, they can pursue higher Alumni positions.

Culture

Community

AM residents are expected to put the community first. Every resident above the age of 14 is given community tasks (such as gardening, production, cleaning, cooking, taking care of Dormants…) to do aside from their education.
In order to become a trial resident of Dimiour, one also needs to complete a certain amount of hours (7800). When a student signs up for these hours is up to them. What tasks they get, however, is the administrations‘ decision. Otherwise, AM residents need to participate in community work less and less as they rise in ranks.

Death and Grief

Death of members of the Order are not considered a permanent loss. The Soul warden makes sure their memories and the essence of their character are kept by the Moon. Therefore, it is less a loss and more a separation and motivation to keep following our goal of eventually living in Dimiour permanently and securely.
Once that happens, Dreambinders will be able to bring back the dead whose memories were secured in the second layer.

Death is only a tragedy when a member who wasn’t yet able to visit Dimiour passes, as their memories can’t be saved. In this case, members will make an effort to somehow remember the dead member anyway through small memorials or word of mouth.

First layer bodies are burnt after death. They’re of no significance to the group.

Clothing

When outside of AM, Dreambinders wear normal clothes to blend into society.

Inside AM, a more tame and realistic version of Dimiour’s clothing standards, like long, flowy clothing, are common.

Once you have been assigned to a subgroup, you’re expected to wear clothing in the subgroup’s signature colour (Violet, indigo, emerald).
Non-grouped individuals wear black, children under 12 have no clothing restrictions.

Trial residents or part-time residents who spend the majority of their time in Dimiour are expected to wear a (see-through) veil covering their face to signify their disconnect from the 1st layer.
This rule led to a trend where students wear jewelry that resembles a veil in order to seem further in their education.

Makeup is generally discouraged as a distraction in AM, except during festivities.

AM doesn’t really consider clothing a gendered thing, but outside traditions still have influence on clothing choices.

Leadership

The highest Council consists of a Weaver representative (Locke family member); Collector representative (Morgentau family member) and Guardian representative (Fink family member).
The council has the most power and decides over the entire complex. They also act as judges when rules are broken.
It also chooses the head professors (guardian, collector, weaver) and head medic, who are responsible for organizing and deciding over higher positions in AM like professors, librarians or medics.

Along with the Council, head positions form the Administration.
The administration mostly exists to deal with the outside world as well as with the Dimiour leadership, which always automatically stands above AM leadership.
All AM residents with a finished education then have authority over students.

Holidays

Lunaris

• Yearly on the first Saturday/Sunday of March.
• Time is spent remembering deceased residents, like through recalling memories, music, art and writing.
• It‘s expected to only wear black.

Starpainter's Day

• Yearly on Hezecha‘s birthday, August 1st (and August 2nd).
• Outdoors celebration including athletic and artistic competitions.
• Residents are encouraged to stay outdoors, spending time amongst the community.
• Sun-themed decorations are put up in AM and it's expected to wear yellow, orange or white.

Reverists' March

• Yearly on October 19th.
• October 19th marks the day Zachariah‘s letter invited reverists to join him in the Highlands. This day is used to celebrate generosity and it‘s common to exchange gifts.
• October 20th-25th is spent fasting to symbolize the travels from Edinburgh to the Highlands.
• October 26th is spent celebrating by eating together and setting goals for the year to come.

Oliver's Remembrance

• Yearly on December 15th-December 19th.
• Those 4 days represent the time it took for Oliver to fall ill and die.
• It was created by Hezecha, who made the rule that the sun wouldn‘t shine in Dimiour for those four days.
• In Asphodel Meadow, since they can‘t control the sun there, this means residents are awake by night and asleep by day to avoid sunlight.
• AM is decorated with candles and lanterns and residents wear colorful clothing.

New Years

• Yearly on January 1st.
• Only outside world holiday adapted by the Dreambinders.

Marriage

Marriage isn’t a necessity in Asphodel Meadow (even less so in Dimiour, where marriage is unusual/not really done at all).

Still, coupling up in order to have children is encouraged and therefore, AM still has a heteronormative culture. Though same sex couples aren’t necessarily looked down upon, they’re mostly ignored for the sake of convenience. Pressure for founding family members to enter straight relationships is huge since they’re expected to produce successors.

Surnames given at birth are usually kept for life. If a person marries another person with a higher rank or more well-known family name, they can choose to adopt their name. Parents can choose which surname to give their child but it can’t be both.