.@.@@..... @@........
...@@@.... .@@.......
...@.@@... .@@@......
.....@@@.. .@.@@.....
.....@.@@. ...@@@....
.......@@@ †* †*† *† @..@.@@...
.......@.@ †*†**~~. .~~†**†*† @@...@@@..
.........@ †* †* ... .. 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. @.........
.@.@@..... @@........
...@@@.... .@@.......
...@.@@... .@@@......
.....@@@.. .@.@@.....
.....@.@@. ...@@@....
.......@@@ @..@.@@...