.«:^$¤####                                          ####¤$^:«.
..«:^$$¤##                                          ##¤$$^:«..
......:$##                                          ##$:......
..«:^$¤###                                          ###¤$^:«..
.....««^¤#                                          #¤^««.....
..«:^$¤### ......::::::::::::::::::::::::::::...... ###¤$^:«..
....«::$¤# ..:            THE  SPIRE            «:. #¤$::«....
..«:^$¤### «:.««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««:«. ###¤$^:«..
......::^¤ :«. 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 .:« ##¤^^::«..
..«:::^$$# :.«  OUTSIDE, AND WE GET BEATEN UP A .«: #$$^:::«..
..«:^$#### .:«  FEW  TIMES,  AND  STOP  GOING.  «.: ####$^:«..
......:^$# .«:«««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««:. #$^:......
..«:^$¤### «.:  IIRC  IT'S CURRENTLY  OWNED  BY :«. ###¤$^:«..
..«:^$¤¤¤# «:. SOME ENERGY DRINK BARON WHO USES :.« #¤¤¤$^:«..
..«:^$¤¤## :«. IT  TO HOLD ALL HIS FOURTY EIGHT .:« ##¤¤$^:«..
..«:^$¤### ..«            CARS.....             .«. ###¤$^:«..
..«:^$¤### ......::::::::::::::::::::::::::::...... ###¤$^:«..
.....«:^¤#                                          #¤^:«.....
...«::^$¤#                                          #¤$^::«...
..«:^$¤¤¤¤                                          ¤¤¤¤$^:«..
..«:^$¤###                                          ###¤$^:«..
..«:^$¤###                                          ###¤$^:«..