@..@.....@ .@@.@..@..
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..@..@.... .@@@..@..@
@..@..@... .@.@@..@..
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..@..@..@. ^% ^%^ %^ ...@.@@..@
@..@..@..@ ^%^%%--. .--^%%^%^ .....@@@..
.@..@..@.. ^% ^% ,,, .. MAGIC .. ,,, %^ %^ @....@.@@.
..@..@..@. ^%^%%--. .--%%^%^ @@.....@@@
@..@..@..@ ^% ^%^ %^ @@@....@.@
@@..@..@.. @.@@.....@
.@@..@..@. MAGIC IS ABOUT BEING UNACCOUNTABLE, ..@@@....@
.@@@..@..@ ABOUT REMOVING THE SOURCE OF THE ACTION ..@.@@....
.@.@@..@.. FROM YOURSELF. IT WORKS BY EXPLOITING A ....@@@...
...@@@..@. KIND OF GRAVITY, CALLED THE @...@.@@..
...@.@@..@ ARROW OF TIME. .@....@@@.
.....@@@.. ..@...@.@@
@....@.@@. THINGS IN THIS UNIVERSE ALWAYS SEEK THE ...@....@@
@@.....@@@ LEAST ENERGETIC STATE. ALL POTENTIAL IS ....@...@.
@@@....@.@ GRADUALLY LOST INTO LESSER FORMS (SUCH @....@....
@.@@.....@ AS HEAT). .@....@...
..@@@....@ ..@....@..
..@.@@.... MAGIC THEN, IS CREATING TUNNELS, @..@....@.
....@@@... SPECIFIC AND INTRICATE CANALS, FOR THIS .@..@....@
@...@.@@.. TO HAPPEN IN A CONTROLLED MANNER. THINK ..@..@....
.@....@@@. OF IT AS SETTING AN ELABORATE TRAP FOR @..@..@...
..@...@.@@ ENTROPY. @@..@..@..
...@....@@ @@@..@..@.
....@...@. AND THEN, WHEN THE CIRCUIT CLOSES, THE @.@@..@..@
@....@.... ARROW IS FORCED TO DO YOUR BIDDING! ..@@@..@..
.@....@... ..@.@@..@.
..@....@.. OF COURSE, YOU'RE ALSO IRREVERSABLY ....@@@..@
@..@....@. DRAINING TIME FROM THE UNIVERSE, BUT ....@.@@..
.@..@....@ YEAH. @.....@@@.
..@..@.... @@....@.@@
@..@..@... .@@.....@@
@@..@..@.. ^%% ^ ^ %%^ .@@@....@.
@@@..@..@. .@.@@.....
@.@@..@..@ ...@@@....
..@@@..@.. THE DANGER IS A RUNAWAY SPELL - IF THE @..@.@@...
..@.@@..@. FILAMENT OF YOUR CANAL IS TOO WEAK, OR .@...@@@..
....@@@..@ THE POTENTIAL IS HIGH ENOUGH TO ESCAPE ..@..@.@@.
....@.@@.. ANY SELF-CLOSING MECHANISMS - A BREACH. ...@...@@@
@.....@@@. ....@..@.@
@@....@.@@ THESE ARE USUALLY CATASTROPHIC. .....@...@
.@@.....@@ ALTHOUGH MANY ARE LOCAL, THEY STAY ......@..@
.@@@....@. ACTIVE UNTIL CLOSED OFF BY COUNTER .......@..
.@.@@..... SPELLS (HARD TO PULL OFF) OR THERE'S NO ........@.
...@@@.... MORE ENERGY TO FALL THROUGH. .........@
@..@.@@... @.........
.@...@@@.. IN THAT CASE THE OUTCOME DEPENDS ON THE .@........
..@..@.@@. SPELL. SMALL-SCALE BREACHES MIGHT NOT ..@.......
...@...@@@ EVEN BE NOTICEABLE BY THE UNINITIATED; @..@......
....@..@.@ BUT A SPELL MIGHT ALSO VERY WELL BRING .@..@.....
.....@...@ ABOUT THE HEAT DEATH OF THE UNIVERSE. ..@..@....
......@..@ @..@..@...
.......@.. .@..@..@..
........@. ^%^ ..@..@..@.
.........@ @..@..@..@
@......... .@..@..@..
.@........ WELL. IT IS WHAT IT IS. A DYING ART.. ..@..@..@.
..@....... MAYBE FOR THE BEST. @..@..@..@
@..@...... @@..@..@..
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