...@@@@@@. ...@......
@@..@@@@.. @@...@@@@@
@....@@... @..@..@@@@
..@@....@@ .......@@@
.....@@... .@@@@@..@.
@@@@....@@ †% †%† %† ..@@@.....
.@@..@@... †%†%%==. .==†%%†%† @..@..@@@.
........@@ †% †% ::: .. 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. .@@@@@....
.....@@..@ ..@@@..@@.
@@@@...... @..@......
.@@..@@@@. .....@@@@.
......@@.. @@@@..@@..
@@@@@....@ @@@......@
@@@@..@@.. @@..@@@@..