&¨¨¨¨&&¨&¨ ¨&¨&&¨¨&¨¨
¨&¨¨¨&&¨¨& ¨¨¨&&&¨¨&¨
¨¨&¨¨&&&¨¨ ¨¨¨&¨&&¨¨&
&¨¨&¨&¨&&¨ ¨¨¨¨¨&&&¨¨
¨&¨¨¨¨¨&&& ¨¨¨¨¨&¨&&¨
¨¨&¨¨¨¨&¨& ¨¨¨^^^;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;^^^¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨&&&
&¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨& ¨^; 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..... ^«¨ &¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨&&&¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨^^^;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;^^^¨¨¨ &&¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨&¨&&¨¨¨¨ ¨&&¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨&&&¨¨¨ ¨&&&¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨&¨&&¨¨ ¨&¨&&¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨&&&¨ ¨¨¨&&&¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨&¨&& ¨¨¨&¨&&¨¨¨