@..@...@@. ........@.
@.@@..@.@. .......@@@
@@.@.@@@@@ ......@...
.@@@@....@ .....@@..@
@...@...@@ ....@.@.@@
@..@@..@.@ ^$ ^$^ $^ ...@@@@@..
@.@.@.@@@@ ^$^$$--. .--^$$^$^ ..@....@.@
@@@@@@...@ ^$ ^$ ,,, .. 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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