.@@@.....@ ..@@@....@
.@.@@..... ..@.@@....
...@@@.... @...@@@...
...@.@@... @@..@.@@..
.....@@@.. .@@...@@@.
.....@.@@. =$ =$= $= .@@@..@.@@
@......@@@ =$=$$~~. .~~=$$=$= .@.@@...@@
@@.....@.@ =$ =$ ... .. 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. @.@@.....@
.@@@...... ..@@@.....
.@.@@..... ..@.@@....
...@@@.... @...@@@...
...@.@@... @@..@.@@..
.....@@@.. .@@...@@@.
.....@.@@. .@@@..@.@@