¨&¨&¨¨&¨¨& ¨¨¨&¨¨¨&¨¨
¨¨¨¨&¨¨&¨¨ ¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨&¨
¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨&¨ ¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨&
&¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨& ¨¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨
¨&¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨ &¨¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨
¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨&¨ ¨¨¨,,,::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,,,¨¨¨ &&¨¨¨¨¨¨&¨
¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨& ¨,: 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..... ,=¨ ¨¨&¨¨&¨¨¨¨
¨&¨¨¨&¨¨¨& ¨¨¨,,,::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,,,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨&¨¨&¨¨¨
¨¨&¨¨¨&¨¨& ¨¨¨¨&¨¨&¨¨
¨¨¨&¨¨¨&¨¨ &¨¨¨¨&¨¨&¨
¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨&¨ &&¨¨¨¨&¨¨&
&¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨& ¨&&¨¨¨¨&¨¨
¨&¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨ ¨&&&¨¨¨¨&¨