¨##¨#¨¨#¨# #¨¨###¨¨¨#
¨##¨¨#¨¨¨# ##¨#¨##¨¨¨
¨###¨¨#¨¨¨ ¨#¨¨¨###¨¨
¨#¨##¨¨#¨¨ ¨¨#¨¨#¨##¨
¨¨¨###¨¨#¨ ¨¨¨#¨¨¨###
#¨¨#¨##¨¨# ¨¨¨...^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^...¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨#¨¨#¨#
##¨¨¨###¨¨ ¨.^ 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..... .»¨ ¨¨#¨¨¨#¨¨¨
¨¨¨#¨¨#¨## ¨¨¨...^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^...¨¨¨ #¨¨#¨¨¨#¨¨
¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨## ¨#¨¨#¨¨¨#¨
¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨#¨ ¨¨#¨¨#¨¨¨#
#¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨ ¨¨¨#¨¨#¨¨¨
¨#¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨ ¨¨¨¨#¨¨#¨¨
¨¨#¨¨¨¨¨#¨ #¨¨¨¨#¨¨#¨