...^==§¤¤¶ ¶¤¤§==^...
..^==§¤¤¶# #¶¤¤§==^..
.^==§¤¤¶## ##¶¤¤§==^.
..^==§¤¤¶# #¶¤¤§==^..
...^==§¤¤¶ ¶¤¤§==^...
....^==§¤¤ ...^^^============================^^^... ¤¤§==^....
.....^==§¤ .^= 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..... ^=. ¤§==^.....
......^==§ ...^^^============================^^^... §==^......
.....^==§¤ ¤§==^.....
....^==§¤¤ ¤¤§==^....
...^==§¤¤¶ ¶¤¤§==^...
..^==§¤¤¶# #¶¤¤§==^..
.^==§¤¤¶## ##¶¤¤§==^.