..@..@...@ ..........
.@@.@@..@. ..........
@.@@.@.@@@ ..........
@@.@@@@... .........@
.@@...@... ........@.
@.@..@@... %$ %$% $% .......@@.
@@@.@.@..@ %$%$$~~. .~~%$$%$% ......@.@@
..@@@@@.@. %$ %$ ... .. 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. ..........
..@..@...@ ..........
.@@.@@..@. ..........
@.@@.@.@@@ ..........
@@.@@@@... .........@
.@@...@... ........@.
@.@..@@... .......@@.