@%*^--¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨--^*%@
#@%*^--¨¨¨ ¨¨¨--^*%@#
##@%*^--¨¨ ¨¨--^*%@##
###@%*^--¨ ¨--^*%@###
##@%*^--¨¨ ¨¨--^*%@##
#@%*^--¨¨¨ ¨¨¨---^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^---¨¨¨ ¨¨¨--^*%@#
@%*^--¨¨¨¨ ¨-^ THE SPIRE -^¨ ¨¨¨¨--^*%@
%*^--¨¨¨¨¨ -^-----------------------------------^-- ¨¨¨¨¨--^*%
*^--¨¨¨¨¨¨ ^-- ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A ^-- ¨¨¨¨¨¨--^*
^--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ^-- BENEVOLENT SPIRE, TOWERING WELL -^- ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--^
--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ -^- ABOVE OUR TALLEST TREES. IT WAS --^ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--
-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ --^ CLAD IN WHITE SCALES, AND SHAPED --^ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-
--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ --^ LIKED A MUSHROOM. -^- ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--
^--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ -^- WE LOVED IT DEARLY. ^-- ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--^
*^--¨¨¨¨¨¨ ^------------------------------------^-- ¨¨¨¨¨¨--^*
%*^--¨¨¨¨¨ ^-- IT PREDATED US BY MANY YEARS, -^- ¨¨¨¨¨--^*%
@%*^--¨¨¨¨ -^- AND WE DID NOT KNOW ITS ORIGINAL --^ ¨¨¨¨--^*%@
#@%*^--¨¨¨ --^ BUILDERS. THEY HAD USED ITS --^ ¨¨¨--^*%@#
##@%*^--¨¨ --^ HOLLOW BODY FOR MANY STRANGE -^- ¨¨--^*%@##
###@%*^--¨ -^- PURPOSES - A WOMBLIKE PLACE OF ^-- ¨--^*%@###
##@%*^--¨¨ ^-- GESTATION, A STORAGE OF STRAGE ^-- ¨¨--^*%@##
#@%*^--¨¨¨ ^-- FLUIDS, A TEMPLE TO SOME KIND OF -^- ¨¨¨--^*%@#
@%*^--¨¨¨¨ -^- ARCANE DEITY. --^ ¨¨¨¨--^*%@
%*^--¨¨¨¨¨ --^------------------------------------^ ¨¨¨¨¨--^*%
*^--¨¨¨¨¨¨ --^ WE WERE GRATEFUL FOR ITS -^- ¨¨¨¨¨¨--^*
^--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ -^- PRESENCE, AND HONORED IT THE ^-- ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--^
--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ^-- ONLY WAY WE KNEW HOW: BY ^-- ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--
-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨-- BREAKING IN. --¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-
--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨---^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^---¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--
^--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--^
*^--¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨--^*
%*^--¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨---^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^---¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨--^*%
@%*^--¨¨¨¨ ¨-^ THIS PLACE WE CALLED OUR CITY: -^- ¨¨¨¨--^*%@
#@%*^--¨¨¨ -^- WAVY AND FRACTURED, WITH EACH ^-- ¨¨¨--^*%@#
##@%*^--¨¨ ^-- COURTYARD ON A DIFFERENT HEIGHT, ^-- ¨¨--^*%@##
###@%*^--¨ ^-- ROADS BECOMING ROOFS BECOMING -^- ¨--^*%@###
##@%*^--¨¨ -^- DRAINS. AND SOME PLACES, LIKE --^ ¨¨--^*%@##
#@%*^--¨¨¨ --^ THE SPIRE, NOBODY HAD ACCESSED --^ ¨¨¨--^*%@#
@%*^--¨¨¨¨ --^ FOR MANY YEARS. ONCE ITS WALLS -^- ¨¨¨¨--^*%@
%*^--¨¨¨¨¨ -^- ARE JUST TOO HIGH, AND THE ^-- ¨¨¨¨¨--^*%
*^--¨¨¨¨¨¨ ^-- INTERNAL ROUTES TO LABYRINTHINE, ^-- ¨¨¨¨¨¨--^*
^--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ^-- A PLACE AMONG OTHERS IS EASILY -^- ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--^
--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ -^- OVERLOOKED. --^ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--
-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ --^-----------------------------------^- ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-
--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ -^- SO, BASICALLY, THAT SUMMER THE ^-- ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--
^--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ^-- FOUR OF US SNUCK AND CLIMBED AND --^ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--^
*^--¨¨¨¨¨¨ ^-- CRAWLED FOR WEEKS, SEARCHING FOR -^- ¨¨¨¨¨¨--^*
%*^--¨¨¨¨¨ -^- A SECLUDED PLACE TO DO DRUGS AND --^ ¨¨¨¨¨--^*%
@%*^--¨¨¨¨ --^ PLAY MUSIC ON OUR HANDHELDS. --^ ¨¨¨¨--^*%@
#@%*^--¨¨¨ --^ INSTEAD WE FOUND VAST LUNGS -^- ¨¨¨--^*%@#
##@%*^--¨¨ -^- DRAINED OF THEIR CATALYST ^-- ¨¨--^*%@##
###@%*^--¨ ^-- SLUDGE, AND A BIRDS-EYE VIEW TO ^-- ¨--^*%@###
##@%*^--¨¨ ^-- MAKE SENSE OF OUR ROAMINGS FOR -^- ¨¨--^*%@##
#@%*^--¨¨¨ -^- YEARS TO COME. --^ ¨¨¨--^*%@#
@%*^--¨¨¨¨ --^------------------------------------^ ¨¨¨¨--^*%@
%*^--¨¨¨¨¨ --^ A CENTRAL SPINE, A STAIRCASE -^- ¨¨¨¨¨--^*%
*^--¨¨¨¨¨¨ -^- AROUND IT, THE SEVEN TOROIDAL ^-- ¨¨¨¨¨¨--^*
^--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ^-- LUNGS STACKED OUTSIDE, AND THE ^-- ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--^
--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ^-- CONTROL ROOM ON TOP. THE SOCKETS -^- ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--
-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ -^- FOR ITS EYES. THE SMALLER SPIRES --^ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-
--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ --^ FOR RADIATING CONSCIOUSNESS --^ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--
^--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨-^ INVITATIONS. -^¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--^
*^--¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨---^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^---¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨--^*
%*^--¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨--^*%
@%*^--¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨---^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^---¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨--^*%@
#@%*^--¨¨¨ ¨-^ IN TWENTY FOURTEEN, THE TOWER IS ^-- ¨¨¨--^*%@#
##@%*^--¨¨ -^- TOPPLED AND EATEN BY MACHINES. ^-- ¨¨--^*%@##
###@%*^--¨ ^-- AFTER A WHILE, SOMETHING NEW IS -^- ¨--^*%@###
##@%*^--¨¨ ^-- CONJURED IN ITS PLACE. IT'S A --^ ¨¨--^*%@##
#@%*^--¨¨¨ -^- TINY MAW AT FIRST, SHORTER THAN --^ ¨¨¨--^*%@#
@%*^--¨¨¨¨ --^ US, AND WE LET IT BE. OUR -^- ¨¨¨¨--^*%@
%*^--¨¨¨¨¨ --^ JOURNEYS STILL END AT ITS FEET. ^-- ¨¨¨¨¨--^*%
*^--¨¨¨¨¨¨ -^-----------------------------------^-- ¨¨¨¨¨¨--^*
^--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ^-- BUT THEN WE ARE BETRAYED. THE -^- ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--^
--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ^-- NEW TOWER EATS US. OTHERS ARE --^ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--
-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ -^- SUCKED INSIDE. NEW BUILDINGS ARE --^ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-
--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ --^ MANIFESTED OVERNIGHT, ONLY TO -^- ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--
^--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ --^ DISAPPEAR IN THE EVENING FOG. ^-- ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--^
*^--¨¨¨¨¨¨ -^- FOR A WHILE ITS SOME KIND OF ^-- ¨¨¨¨¨¨--^*
%*^--¨¨¨¨¨ ^-- TIMESHARE SCAM. GOONS ARE PLACED -^- ¨¨¨¨¨--^*%
@%*^--¨¨¨¨ ^-- OUTSIDE, AND WE GET BEATEN UP A --^ ¨¨¨¨--^*%@
#@%*^--¨¨¨ -^- FEW TIMES, AND STOP GOING. --^ ¨¨¨--^*%@#
##@%*^--¨¨ --^-----------------------------------^- ¨¨--^*%@##
###@%*^--¨ --^ IIRC IT'S CURRENTLY OWNED BY ^-- ¨--^*%@###
##@%*^--¨¨ -^- SOME ENERGY DRINK BARON WHO USES ^-- ¨¨--^*%@##
#@%*^--¨¨¨ ^-- IT TO HOLD ALL HIS FOURTY EIGHT -^- ¨¨¨--^*%@#
@%*^--¨¨¨¨ ¨-- CARS..... --¨ ¨¨¨¨--^*%@
%*^--¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨---^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^---¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨--^*%
*^--¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨--^*
^--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--^
--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--
-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-
--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--