........--                                          --........
.........-                                          -.........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........         # -------------------- #         ..........
..........         ^ the wolf pool exists ^         ..........
.........-         ^ in a stale timeline, ^         -.........
........--         ^  branched way back   ^         --........
.......--^         ^  when kirugu vargir  ^         ^--.......
......--^*         ^  was almost barren,  ^         *^--......
.....--^*$  comprised mostly of rock and arid soil, $*^--.....
....--^*$#  and plants were only starting to grow,  #$*^--....
...--^*$#@         ^        at all...     ^         @#$*^--...
..--^*$#@@         # -------------------- #         @@#$*^--..
,,»;†£¤@##                                          ##@¤£†;»,,
,.-~/†@###     misplaced explorers traverse the     ###@†/~-.,
¨.¨-»;*¤§#   landscape, searching for a way back,   #§¤*;»-¨.¨
,....=:%¤& finding instead only stone and dirt and  &¤%:=....,
¨,,¨.^~:%£  roots that are as hard as the ground.   £%:~^.¨,,¨
,..,,.,-:=   it's getting dark, they are thirsty,   =:-,.,,..,
.,,¨,,.~-/     and about to find the wolf pool.     /-~.,,¨,,.
,¨¨¨..¨¨~«                                          «~¨¨..¨¨¨,
¨,..¨¨¨,¨:                   ¨#.                    :¨,¨¨¨..,¨
¨,¨¨¨,¨.,.                                          .,.¨,¨¨¨,¨
.¨,.,.,,.¨    the pool lies in a small meteorite    ¨.,,.,.,¨.
¨,,,¨¨¨¨,¨   impact crater, sixty meters across.    ¨,¨¨¨¨,,,¨
¨.¨,.,..¨,   it's surface is pitch black and even   ,¨..,.,¨.¨
¨.,¨,¨.¨,,  though it's not well protected, it is   ,,¨.¨,¨,.¨
.,..¨..¨.-           undisturbed by wind.           -.¨..¨..,.
,,.¨¨¨.,.-                                          -.,.¨¨¨.,,
,.,.¨,.-~\                   ¨#,                    \~-.,¨.,.,
.,,,¨¨:-^=                                          =^-:¨¨,,,.
.¨¨..~~†*£     as they stumble on the pool, the     £*†~~..¨¨.
.,.¨,»/*£¤  explorers first believe it to be water, ¤£*/»,¨.,.
¨,.,-*†%£#    which is something they all desire    #£%†*-,.,¨
¨.~=*%$£¶#   greatly at this point. they fail to    #¶£$%*=~.¨
,-=^†@¤###  notice that the stars do not reflect on ###¤@†^=-,
,.,==%¤§##   its surface. one of them crouches to   ##§¤%==,.,
.¨..-:$@&@    drink, forms a cup with his hands,    @&@$:-..¨.
.¨,.-~:§@@       lowers the cup into the pool.      @@§:~-.,¨.
...¨,.~:*$                                          $*:~.,¨...
¨,,,,,~~\^  he tries to resist at first, but is too ^\~~,,,,,¨
,¨...,,--;   close, and he quickly gives up as the  ;--,,...¨,
,,¨,.¨¨¨:~ liquid flows into his mind. the others,  ~:¨¨¨.,¨,,
¨.....,,¨-   - not understanding the«danger, move   -¨,,.....¨
..,.¨,,¨,¨       closer to help their.friend.       ¨,¨,,¨.,..
,,,.,.¨...       .      «    «            , .       ...¨.,.,,,
...¨¨¨¨¨,¨    and¨then,the¨pool,announces¨itself    ¨,¨¨¨¨¨...
.,,.¨¨,.¨¨      to.them¨-.sudden.,,thoughts,of.     ¨¨.,¨¨.,,.
.,¨,.¨¨...   ,-~dark~wolves«.climbing-out-of-,,~    ...¨¨.,¨,.
.,,.,¨..,~    «=~the»pool,~surrounding*them:-^†=    ~,..¨,.,,.
,¨..,.¨,-~    ^sudden;thoughts^of==^climbing†^$     ~-,¨.,..¨,
¨¨....,,«/   into$the/pool,*their%thirst*flaring^   /«,,....¨¨
,,¨¨.¨^=*$     ^**bright§-*%a¤sudden@@awareness#    $*=^¨.¨¨,,
,¨,,,-=:%% #§of%#exactly¤#how&they£had¤traveled,£#  %%:=-,,,¨,
.¨¨¨,»\$$@  #£of@the#way@home@@to#the#time£from£#   @$$\»,¨¨¨.
¨.,:~†**§#  ##where#they@came,#@#@#@@and#then#@##   #§**†~:,.¨
¨¨,~†*$§#@   #####the#feeling#of#this*knowledge†~   @#§$*†~,¨¨
,-«/%%¤£##   =~being = stolen -« from ~=~ them. ¨   ##£¤%%/«-,
¨.,»=$*@¶#          »~ .  «»» .  «,  :«  ~          #¶@*$=»,.¨
¨¨¨,==*%£¶    ^   ,,          ^                .    ¶£%*==,¨¨¨
..,,-~^§$&        ¨      ,          ,      *        &$§^~-,,..
¨¨¨¨,,»\%&                                          &%\»,,¨¨¨¨
¨¨.¨.¨~-/^                   .#¨                    ^/-~¨.¨.¨¨
...¨...,«=                                          =«,...¨...
,,,¨¨.¨,,-                   and,                   -,,¨.¨¨,,,
,¨¨...,.¨.                                          .¨.,...¨¨,
,,.¨,..,¨,  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ,¨,..,¨.,,
..¨¨.¨...,        now its wolves see further.       ,...¨.¨¨..
¨.¨¨¨¨¨,¨¨                                          ¨¨,¨¨¨¨¨.¨
.¨¨.,.,,.¨                                          ¨.,,.,.¨¨.
.,,,..,¨¨.                                          .¨¨,..,,,.
,..¨¨.¨,¨.                                          .¨,¨.¨¨..,
.¨.,.¨.,,=                                          =,,.¨.,.¨.