@@.@@@@.@. @....@...@
.@@...@@@. @...@@..@.
@.@..@..@@ @..@.@.@@.
@@@.@@.@.@ @.@@@@@.@@
..@@.@@@@. @@....@@..
.@.@@...@. *§ *§* §* .@...@.@..
@@@.@..@@. *§*§§~~. .~~*§§*§* @@..@@@@..
..@@@.@.@@ *§ *§ ::: .. 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. @.....@@@@
@@.@@@@.@. @....@...@
.@@...@@@. @...@@..@.
@.@..@..@@ @..@.@.@@.
@@@.@@.@.@ @.@@@@@.@@
..@@.@@@@. @@....@@..
.@.@@...@. .@...@.@..