,,=:**&¶##                                          ##¶&**:=,,
,,,,==**&#                                          #&**==,,,,
,,,,,:**&&                                          &&**:,,,,,
,,=:*****&                                          &*****:=,,
,,=:**&¶##                                          ##¶&**:=,,
,,,,:***&¶ ,,,,,,::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,,,,,, ¶&***:,,,,
,,=:**&¶## ,,:            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.....            ,=, ##¶&**:=,,
,,=:***&&¶ ,,,,,,::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,,,,,, ¶&&***:=,,
,,,,=:**&¶                                          ¶&**:=,,,,
,,,,,==:*&                                          &*:==,,,,,
,,=:**&¶##                                          ##¶&**:=,,
,=:**&¶###                                          ###¶&**:=,
,,,=::***¶                                          ¶***::=,,,