....:=;*%§ §%*;=:....
...:=;*%§¶ ¶§%*;=:...
..:=;*%§¶@ @¶§%*;=:..
.:=;*%§¶@# #@¶§%*;=:.
..:=;*%§¶@ @¶§%*;=:..
...:=;*%§¶ ...:::;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;:::... ¶§%*;=:...
....:=;*%§ .:; 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..... :=. @¶§%*;=:..
.:=;*%§¶@# ...:::;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;:::... #@¶§%*;=:.
..:=;*%§¶@ @¶§%*;=:..
...:=;*%§¶ ¶§%*;=:...
....:=;*%§ §%*;=:....
.....:=;*% %*;=:.....
......:=;* *;=:......