,,,,,=§§¤#                                          #¤§§=,,,,,
,,,,=*§¤¤#                                          #¤¤§*=,,,,
,,=*§&¤###                                          ###¤&§*=,,
,,,,,=§¤##                                          ##¤§=,,,,,
,,,,,,,=§¤                                          ¤§=,,,,,,,
,,,,,=§§¤# ,,,,,,****************************,,,,,, #¤§§=,,,,,
,,=*§&¤### ,,*            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.....            ,=, ¤§=,,,,,,,
,,,,,==*&# ,,,,,,****************************,,,,,, #&*==,,,,,
,,=*§&¤###                                          ###¤&§*=,,
,,=*§&¤###                                          ###¤&§*=,,
,,,,,,=§¤#                                          #¤§=,,,,,,
,,=*§&¤###                                          ###¤&§*=,,
,,=*§&¤###                                          ###¤&§*=,,