....@.@@.@ @@@..@@@..
......@@.. @.@@.@.@@.
......@@@. ..@@...@@@
@.....@.@@ ..@@@..@.@
@@......@@ ..@.@@...@
.@@.....@. §& §&§ &§ ....@@@..@
.@@@...... §&§&&--. .--§&&§&§ ....@.@@..
.@.@@..... §& §& --- .. 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. @..@.@@...
....@@@..@ @@...@@@..
....@.@@.. @@@..@.@@.
......@@@. @.@@...@@@
@.....@.@@ ..@@@..@.@
@@......@@ ..@.@@...@
.@@.....@. ....@@@..@