@.....@@@. .@@@..@@..
@....@..@. @..@.@.@.@
@...@@.@@. @.@@@@@@@.
@..@.@@.@@ @@......@@
@.@@@.@@.. .@.....@..
@@..@@.@.@ *$ *$* $* @@....@@.@
.@.@.@@@@@ *$*$$==. .==*$$*$* .@...@.@@.
@@@@@..... *$ *$ ::: .. 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. .@@@@.@@@.
.@@@@@...@ @...@@..@@
@....@..@. @..@.@.@.@
@...@@.@@. @.@@@@@@@.
@..@.@@.@@ @@......@@
@.@@@.@@.. .@.....@..
@@..@@.@.@ @@....@@.@