¨,=^=§¶###                                          ###¶§=^=,¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨==@                                          @==¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,==§§@                                          @§§==,¨¨¨¨
¨,=^=§@¶##                                          ##¶@§=^=,¨
¨¨¨¨,===@@                                          @@===,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,^=@@ ¨¨¨,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^,,,¨¨¨ @@=^,¨¨¨¨¨
¨,=^=§@¶## ¨,^            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.....             ,=¨ @§===,¨¨¨¨
¨,=^=§@¶## ¨¨¨,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^,,,¨¨¨ ##¶@§=^=,¨
¨¨¨¨=^^=@#                                          #@=^^=¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,==@@#                                          #@@==,¨¨¨¨
¨,,=^^=§@@                                          @@§=^^=,,¨
¨¨¨¨,,==@#                                          #@==,,¨¨¨¨
¨,=^=§@¶##                                          ##¶@§=^=,¨