...@@@@..@ ...@@.@..@
..@...@.@@ ..@.@@@.@@
.@@..@@@.@ .@@@..@@.@
@.@.@..@@. @..@.@.@@@
@@@@@.@.@@ @.@@@@@...
....@@@@.@ *@ *@* @* @@....@..@
...@...@@@ *@*@@««. .««*@@*@* .@...@@.@@
..@@..@..@ *@ *@ ^^^ .. 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. .@.@@@..@.
@@@....@@. @@@..@.@@.
..@...@.@@ ..@.@@@.@@
.@@..@@@.@ .@@@..@@.@
@.@.@..@@. @..@.@.@@@
@@@@@.@.@@ @.@@@@@...
....@@@@.@ @@....@..@