,¤,,,,¤,,,                                          ¤¤¤¤,,,,,,
,,,¤¤,,,¤¤                                          ¤¤¤,,¤¤¤¤¤
,¤,,,,¤,,¤                                          ¤¤,,,,¤¤¤,
,,,¤¤,,,,,                                          ¤,,¤¤,,¤,,
¤¤,,,,¤¤¤,                                          ,,,,,,,,,¤
¤,,¤¤,,¤,, ,,,^^^††††††††††††††††††††††††††††^^^,,, ,¤¤¤¤¤¤¤,,
,,,,,,,,,¤ ,^†            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.....             ^», ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ ,,,^^^††††††††††††††††††††††††††††^^^,,, ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤                                          ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤                                          ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤                                          ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤                                          ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤                                          ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤