@@......@. .......@..
...@@@@... .@@@@@....
@@..@@..@. ..@@@..@@@
@......... ...@....@@
..@@@@@@@@ @@...@@..@
...@@@@@@@ %* %*% *% @..@......
@@..@@@@@. %*%**~~. .~~%**%*% .....@@@@@
@....@@@.. %* %* ,,, .. 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. @@@@......
.@....@@.. @@@..@@@@.
...@@..... @@....@@..
@@....@@@@ ...@@....@
@..@@..@@@ @@....@@..
........@@ @..@@.....
@@@@@@@..@ ......@@@@