@@@@...... @..@.@@@..
...@.....@ @.@@@..@.@
..@@....@. @@..@.@@@@
.@.@...@@. .@.@@@...@
@@@@..@.@. @@@..@..@@
...@.@@@@. ^% ^%^ %^ ..@.@@.@..
..@@@...@. ^%^%%««. .««^%%^%^ .@@@.@@@..
.@..@..@@@ ^% ^% ::: .. 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. @...@@.@..
@@@@...... @..@.@@@..
...@.....@ @.@@@..@.@
..@@....@. @@..@.@@@@
.@.@...@@. .@.@@@...@
@@@@..@.@. @@@..@..@@
...@.@@@@. ..@.@@.@..