...@@@..@. .@@@..@@..
...@..@.@@ .@..@.@.@.
...@@.@@@. .@@.@@@@@@
@..@.@@..@ @@.@@.....
@@.@@@.@.@ ..@@.@....
@.@@..@@@@ ^$ ^$^ $^ @.@.@@@...
@@@.@.@... ^$^$$~~. .~~^$$^$^ @@@@@..@..
@..@@@@@.. ^$ ^$ ^^^ .. 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. ....@...@.
@@@...@@.@ @...@@..@@
...@..@.@@ .@..@.@.@.
...@@.@@@. .@@.@@@@@@
@..@.@@..@ @@.@@.....
@@.@@@.@.@ ..@@.@....
@.@@..@@@@ @.@.@@@...