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