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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. -=\ ¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨
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###¨¨#¨¨## =\- PRESENCE, AND HONORED IT THE \=- ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨###
##¨¨¨¨¨¨¨# \=- ONLY WAY WE KNEW HOW: BY \-= ######¨¨##
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#¨¨¨¨¨##¨¨ -\= WAVY AND FRACTURED, WITH EACH \-= #¨¨####¨¨#
¨¨###¨¨¨¨¨ \-= COURTYARD ON A DIFFERENT HEIGHT, \=- ¨¨¨¨##¨¨¨¨
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¨¨¨¨¨¨¨##¨ =\- 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. -=\ ##########
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¨¨¨¨###### -\= SO, BASICALLY, THAT SUMMER THE \-= ¨¨########
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¨¨¨¨¨¨#### \=- CRAWLED FOR WEEKS, SEARCHING FOR =\- ##¨¨####¨¨
#####¨¨### =\- A SECLUDED PLACE TO DO DRUGS AND =-\ #¨¨¨¨##¨¨#
####¨¨¨¨#¨ =-\ PLAY MUSIC ON OUR HANDHELDS. -=\ ¨¨##¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨##¨¨##¨¨¨ -=\ INSTEAD WE FOUND VAST LUNGS -\= ¨¨¨¨¨####¨
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#######¨¨# \-= SLUDGE, AND A BIRDS-EYE VIEW TO \=- ###¨¨¨¨¨¨#
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####¨¨¨¨#¨ -\= 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 \=- ##########
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########## \=- 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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