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¨¨¨¨-==$## »=-»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»=»- ##$==-¨¨¨¨
¨-»=†$¤### =»- ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A =-» ###¤$†=»-¨
¨-»=†$¤### =-» BENEVOLENT SPIRE, TOWERING WELL -=» ###¤$†=»-¨
¨¨¨¨¨»††¤# -=» ABOVE OUR TALLEST TREES. IT WAS -»= #¤††»¨¨¨¨¨
¨-»=†$¤### -»= CLAD IN WHITE SCALES, AND SHAPED »-= ###¤$†=»-¨
¨-»=†††$## »-= LIKED A MUSHROOM. »=- ##$†††=»-¨
¨-»=†$$$$¤ »=- WE LOVED IT DEARLY. =»- ¤$$$$†=»-¨
¨-»=†$¤### =»-»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»=-» ###¤$†=»-¨
¨-»=†$¤### =-» IT PREDATED US BY MANY YEARS, -=» ###¤$†=»-¨
¨¨¨¨-»==$# -=» AND WE DID NOT KNOW ITS ORIGINAL -»= #$==»-¨¨¨¨
¨-»=†$#### -»= BUILDERS. THEY HAD USED ITS »-= ####$†=»-¨
¨-»=†$¤### »-= HOLLOW BODY FOR MANY STRANGE »=- ###¤$†=»-¨
¨-»»»†$¤¤¤ »=- PURPOSES - A WOMBLIKE PLACE OF =»- ¤¤¤$†»»»-¨
¨-»=†$¤### =»- GESTATION, A STORAGE OF STRAGE =-» ###¤$†=»-¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-=†¤ =-» FLUIDS, A TEMPLE TO SOME KIND OF -=» ¤†=-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨»»=$¤ -=» ARCANE DEITY. -»= ¤$=»»¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨»=$¤¤ -»=»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»-= ¤¤$=»¨¨¨¨¨
¨-»=†$¤### »-= WE WERE GRATEFUL FOR ITS »=- ###¤$†=»-¨
¨-»=†$¤### »=- PRESENCE, AND HONORED IT THE =»- ###¤$†=»-¨
¨-»=†$¤### =»- ONLY WAY WE KNEW HOW: BY =-» ###¤$†=»-¨
¨-»=†$#### ¨-» BREAKING IN. -»¨ ####$†=»-¨
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¨-»=†$¤¤¤¤ ¨»= THIS PLACE WE CALLED OUR CITY: -=» ¤¤¤¤$†=»-¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨»=$¤ -=» WAVY AND FRACTURED, WITH EACH =-» ¤$=»¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨-»=†$¤### =-» COURTYARD ON A DIFFERENT HEIGHT, =»- ###¤$†=»-¨
¨-»=†$¤### =»- ROADS BECOMING ROOFS BECOMING »=- ###¤$†=»-¨
¨¨¨»»††††¤ »=- DRAINS. AND SOME PLACES, LIKE »-= ¤††††»»¨¨¨
¨-»=†$¤### »-= THE SPIRE, NOBODY HAD ACCESSED -»= ###¤$†=»-¨
¨-»=†$¤### -»= FOR MANY YEARS. ONCE ITS WALLS -=» ###¤$†=»-¨
¨-»=†$¤### -=» ARE JUST TOO HIGH, AND THE =-» ###¤$†=»-¨
¨-»=†$¤### =-» INTERNAL ROUTES TO LABYRINTHINE, =»- ###¤$†=»-¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨»†¤ =»- A PLACE AMONG OTHERS IS EASILY »=- ¤†»¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
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¨-»=†$¤### -=» SO, BASICALLY, THAT SUMMER THE =-» ###¤$†=»-¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨»†¤ =-» FOUR OF US SNUCK AND CLIMBED AND »-= ¤†»¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨-»=†$¤¤¤# =»- CRAWLED FOR WEEKS, SEARCHING FOR »=- #¤¤¤$†=»-¨
¨-»=†$¤### »=- A SECLUDED PLACE TO DO DRUGS AND »-= ###¤$†=»-¨
¨-»=†$#### »-= PLAY MUSIC ON OUR HANDHELDS. -»= ####$†=»-¨
¨-»=†$¤### -»= INSTEAD WE FOUND VAST LUNGS -=» ###¤$†=»-¨
¨¨¨-»=$$$# -=» 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 =»- ¤$$=»¨¨¨¨¨
¨-»=$¤#### =»- CONTROL ROOM ON TOP. THE SOCKETS »=- ####¤$=»-¨
¨-»=†$¤### »=- FOR ITS EYES. THE SMALLER SPIRES »-= ###¤$†=»-¨
¨-»=†$¤### »-= FOR RADIATING CONSCIOUSNESS -»= ###¤$†=»-¨
¨-»=†††$¤# ¨»= INVITATIONS. -=¨ #¤$†††=»-¨
¨-»=†††$$# ¨¨¨---============================---¨¨¨ #$$†††=»-¨
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¨-»=†$¤### ¨-= IN TWENTY FOURTEEN, THE TOWER IS =»- ###¤$†=»-¨
¨-»»===†¤¤ »=- 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 »=- ¤†»¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨-»=†$¤### »-= DISAPPEAR IN THE EVENING FOG. =»- ###¤$†=»-¨
¨-»=†$¤### »=- FOR A WHILE ITS SOME KIND OF =-» ###¤$†=»-¨
¨-»=†$¤### =»- TIMESHARE SCAM. GOONS ARE PLACED -=» ###¤$†=»-¨
¨--»»»»=$# =-» OUTSIDE, AND WE GET BEATEN UP A -»= #$=»»»»--¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-=$# -=» FEW TIMES, AND STOP GOING. »-= #$=-¨¨¨¨¨¨
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¨-»=†$¤### »-= IIRC IT'S CURRENTLY OWNED BY =»- ###¤$†=»-¨
¨-»==†$¤## »=- SOME ENERGY DRINK BARON WHO USES =-» ##¤$†==»-¨
¨-»=†$#### =»- IT TO HOLD ALL HIS FOURTY EIGHT -=» ####$†=»-¨
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