..@.@.@@@. .@..@.@.@.
......@.@@ ..@......@
@.......@@ ...@......
.@......@. @...@.....
..@....... @@...@....
...@...... %$ %$% $% @@@...@...
....@..... %$%$$»». .»»%$$%$% @.@@...@..
.....@.... %$ %$ ~~~ .. 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. @......@..
......@@@. .@......@.
......@.@@ ..@......@
@.......@@ ...@......
.@......@. @...@.....
..@....... @@...@....
...@...... @@@...@...