###...####                                          ####..##.#
...#..#...                                          #...#.#.##
#..##.##..                                          .#..#####.
##.#.##.#.                                          .##.#....#
..####.###                                          ##.###...#
#.#...##..         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ..##..#..#
.###..#.#.         † THE WOLF POOL EXISTS †         #.#.#.##.#
##..#.####         † IN A STALE TIMELINE, †         #######.##
..#.###...         †  BRANCHED WAY BACK   †         #......##.
..###..#..         †  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  †         .#.....#.#
#.#..#.##.         †  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  †         ###....###
.###.###.# COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL,  ...#...#..
.#..##..##  AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW,  ...##..##.
.##.#.#.#.         †        AT ALL...     †         ...#.#.#.#
##.#######         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ...#######
.,§@¨¨¨.,¨                                          #¨¨@,¨¨¨.,
.¨£.@,..¨¨     MISPLACED EXPLORERS TRAVERSE THE     §&,#&..¨,¨
¨¨@£§£,.¨,   LANDSCAPE, SEARCHING FOR A WAY BACK,   ¤.#£.£,¨,¨
,,¤.,,£,¨,  FINDING INSTEAD ONLY STONE AND DIRT AND #§§,£¤£¨,,
.,#§.¨§§¨,   ROOTS THAT ARE AS HARD AS THE GROUND.  ¨..¤&..¤,.
.,§,@.#,&¨   IT'S GETTING DARK, THEY ARE THIRSTY,   ,¨¨&¨@.¤&,
,.@&&@£#@#     AND ABOUT TO FIND THE WOLF POOL.     ¨.,&&£§¤¨#
&¨&,¨¨..¨,                                          ,..¤¨..,@@
,@§§.¨¨..¨                   ,#.                    ,.,##...§¨
,#.¨¤¨.,..                                          @..#,@¨.&&
£¤#,&¤,¨¨.    THE POOL LIES IN A SMALL METEORITE    ¨§,¤§&&¨£¨
#.,@¤¨@,..    IMPACT CRATER, SIXTY METERS ACROSS.   ,&#§¨..¤£@
.£.§¨@@£¨.   IT'S SURFACE IS PITCH BLACK AND EVEN   ¤§..#,,&¨,
.¤##@&,.#¨  THOUGH IT'S NOT WELL PROTECTED, IT IS   §,£¨£#¨@&,
,#.,.¨§.§£           UNDISTURBED BY WIND.           ¤#@¤£.£§,¤
§&@,.¨££§,                                          #,¨..#¤.@&
¨,,#.¨#.¨#                    .#.                   @£¨¨.&,¤&¨
,¨,§&¨§#¨#                                          ¤.§.¨§¤¤,@
¤.,§.§#¨&£     AS THEY STUMBLE ON THE POOL, THE     §£££¨¤..&§
¨@¨@§#¨&&,  EXPLORERS FIRST BELIEVE IT TO BE WATER, £.,¨¤@@,¤¨
.#&§,¨&@,@    WHICH IS SOMETHING THEY ALL DESIRE    ,¤.,@.,¤¤#
£§¨.£.@.&£   GREATLY AT THIS POINT. THEY FAIL TO    ¨#¤¨#¤.@.,
£,@,§@##§. NOTICE THAT THE STARS DO NOT REFLECT ON  @§,§@,£@@¨
£&¤@&..,.§   ITS SURFACE. ONE OF THEM CROUCHES TO   @¨&@,&§¨.@
,,¨¨.§¨,,£    DRINK, FORMS A CUP WITH HIS HANDS,    §#&.#£.#,@
&¨,,,£#,¨#      LOWERS THE CUP INTO THE POOL.       §.¨&@,@@@§
,@..,£,£.£                                          ¨£,¤,§£,,.
,£&..@¤&§§  HE TRIES TO RESIST AT FIRST, BUT IS TOO ,#&¤#¤.§¨.
,§¨£.¤,,.¨  CLOSE, AND HE QUICKLY GIVES UP AS THE   §@,¨¨.¤§¤.
¨¤##¤££... LIQUID FLOWS INTO HIS MIND. THE OTHERS,  ,,¤,,¨@,,&
£¤,.,¨¨§,.   « NOT UNDERSTANDING THE=DANGER, MOVE   £.£¤.,§#¨¤
,,¤.,,.&£.       CLOSER TO HELP THEIR¨FRIEND.       .§&¨¤,¤.#¤
§¨@@,¨,@,&       ¨      =    «            , ¨       &¤.&@#¤¤@¨
#£¤,&¨,#&&    AND.THEN,THE¨POOL¨ANNOUNCES.ITSELF    #¨§#,.¨¨.£
,.¨#¤&,§..      TO,THEM.-.SUDDEN,:,THOUGHTS¨OF.     ¤@£.£,,¨,£
§.¨£¨.§#@¨    ,:~DARK~WOLVES»¨CLIMBING.OUT^OF.,,~   §,.£§#,,¨#
¨£¨£§¨¤,,£    =»~THE«POOL,=SURROUNDING/THEM^-†\;    ,§.§¨.§.,¤
£&@&¨§&@,§     †SUDDEN\THOUGHTS\OF««/CLIMBING:*$    ¨§#¤§¨##,#
...¨§§,,#&   INTO*THE†POOL,†THEIR$THIRST%FLARING*   ¤@,,,§#,&¤
£,¨,@¨#¨§.    †%=BRIGHT%-=%A£SUDDEN§$AWARENESS#     .¨§,,£¨&@,
@#..##¤&£¤  #@OF£&EXACTLY§#HOW¤THEY£HAD@TRAVELED,$# ¤,£&¨£#£¨£
.¨#,£¨¨,¨¨  #@OF¤THE@WAY¶HOME¶¶TO¶THE@TIME#FROM##   .¤@¨##¨,§#
§,£@£@¨,¨,  #£WHERE#THEY#CAME,@###@@#AND#THEN@###   &&,§§.#.¤,
&#£...¤.,.   #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS%KNOWLEDGE*-   &,&£.¤§&@§
,,¨&..£#.¨   ==BEING ~ STOLEN =« FROM =~- THEM. .   ¨@£,§@.,,.
¨.,#§,#.#¨          == ¨  ~~- .  ~¨  :~  »          ,£.£¤,@,.,
..,¤¨£@&@@    ,   :~          ,                .    ¤¤§§.£#§.¨
,.¨##&.,,¨        ,      ,          ¨      ^        ,..¨#¤.¨#.
.,,£,¨§.,¨                                          ¤¨¨,#.&,¤&
#..¤§¨§¤,,                   .#,                    ¨§¨.§#&#¤¨
¤£.&¨§#,@¨                                          ,¤@¨#.,,.&
¨.§£@&,#@@                   AND,                   #&¨@##¨,.#
@,¤,,,¤§.,                                          ,¨&#,.§,,#
,#¤¤.,£.¤.  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  £.@¨#¨@¤¨§
@@,,§¨#¤§£       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        @&&¤#§£,¤@
.¨§.¤§¤.¨.                                          @...¨,,@#.
.¨##&¨.#¨¨                                          ,¤..¨,,&,@
#.£.¨¤.££,                                          #¤£¨,¨,&§&
,#£#,&@#,§                                          ¨,.§.¨¨§¨,
,¤¨¨&&,,&§                                          .,¨&&¨¨§#¨