¨¨¨¨¨^=^*% %*^=^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^=^* *^=^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=^ ^=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^=^* *^=^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^=^*% %*^=^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^=^*%@ ¨¨¨^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^¨¨¨ @%*^=^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^=^*%@¶ ¨^^ 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..... ^=¨ ^=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^=^* ¨¨¨^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^¨¨¨ *^=^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^=^*% %*^=^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^=^*%@ @%*^=^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^=^*%@¶ ¶@%*^=^¨¨¨
¨¨^=^*%@¶# #¶@%*^=^¨¨
¨^=^*%@¶## ##¶@%*^=^¨