.@......@@ @.@..@....
..@.....@@ @..@..@...
...@....@. @@..@..@..
....@..... .@@..@..@.
.....@.... .@@@..@..@
@.....@... %% %%% %% .@.@@..@..
.@.....@.. %%%%%==. .==%%%%%% ...@@@..@.
..@.....@. %% %% ~~~ .. 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. .@..@.....
.@..@.@@.. ..@..@....
..@...@@@. @..@..@...
...@..@.@@ @@..@..@..
....@...@@ .@@..@..@.
.....@..@. .@@@..@..@
@.....@... .@.@@..@..