¨&¨¨¨&¨¨&¨ &¨¨¨&¨¨&&¨
¨¨&¨¨¨&¨¨& ¨&¨¨¨&¨&&&
&¨¨&¨¨¨&¨¨ ¨¨&¨¨¨¨&¨&
&&¨¨&¨¨¨&¨ ¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨&
¨&&¨¨&¨¨¨& ¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨&
¨&&&¨¨&¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,,,::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,,,¨¨¨ &¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨
¨&¨&&¨¨&¨¨ ¨,: 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..... ,»¨ ¨¨¨&¨¨&¨¨¨
¨&¨¨&¨¨&¨¨ ¨¨¨,,,::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,,,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨&¨¨&¨¨
¨¨&¨¨&¨¨&¨ ¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨&¨
¨¨¨&¨¨&¨¨& ¨¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨&
&¨¨¨&¨¨&¨¨ &¨¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨
¨&¨¨¨&¨¨&¨ ¨&¨¨¨¨¨¨&¨
¨¨&¨¨¨&¨¨& ¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨¨&