.@@@@@@..@ .@.......@
@.....@.@. @@......@@
@....@@@@. .@.....@..
@...@...@. @@....@@.@
@..@@..@@. .@...@.@@.
@.@.@.@.@. †$ †$† $† @@..@@@.@@
@@@@@@@@@. †$†$$~~. .~~†$$†$† .@.@..@@..
........@. †$ †$ ... .. 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. @..@.@.@.@
@......@@. @.@@@@@@@.
@.....@.@. @@......@@
@....@@@@. .@.....@..
@...@...@. @@....@@.@
@..@@..@@. .@...@.@@.
@.@.@.@.@. @@..@@@.@@