........@@ .......@@@
.@@@@@@... @@@@@@..@.
..@@@@..@@ @@@@@.....
@..@@..... @@@@..@@@@
......@@@@ .@@....@@@
.@@@@..@@. ** *** ** ....@@..@.
..@@...... *****»». .»»****** .@@.......
@....@@@@@ ** ** ,,, .. 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. @@@..@@...
@@@@@@@@.. @@......@@
@@@@@@@..@ ...@@@@..@
@@@@@@.... @@..@@....
.@@@@..@@@ @......@@.
..@@....@. ..@@@@....
@....@@... ...@@..@@@