@@..@@.@@. @...@.@.@.
.@.@.@@.@@ @..@@@@@@@
@@@@@.@@.@ @.@......@
....@@.@@@ @@@.....@.
...@.@@..@ ..@....@@.
..@@@.@.@@ †% †%† %† .@@...@.@.
.@..@@@@.@ †%†%%~~. .~~†%%†%† @.@..@@@@.
@@.@...@@. †% †% ,,, .. 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. @....@@..@
@@..@@.@@. @...@.@.@.
.@.@.@@.@@ @..@@@@@@@
@@@@@.@@.@ @.@......@
....@@.@@@ @@@.....@.
...@.@@..@ ..@....@@.
..@@@.@.@@ .@@...@.@.