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this board is a container for marks that route intention. each was drawn in one line, without lifting the pen. we do not remember whose hand held the pen. the paper was never found.
the marks are not decoration. they are addresses. an address implies a place. a place implies something living at it. we advise you not to complete this line of reasoning.
nothing here is generated by chance. the mutation you see in the glyphs is the mark breathing. it breathes at the same rate you do. check.
a stroke that terminates on purpose. a line that chose to stop. every mark carries at least one — without it, the intention leaks out the open ends and pools somewhere below the page.
if a mark survives translation into fixed cells, it was structural. if it dies, it was only style. the grid also keeps them evenly spaced. they need to be kept evenly spaced.
they do exactly as much as you route through them. you have already routed something through one. it happened when you read it.
the board maintains. that is the whole sentence.
╲ │ ╱
──┼┼┼──
╱ │ ╲
†
┌─╲╱─┐ │ ◇◇ │ └─╱╲─┘ ││
╱╲ ╱††╲ ╱─┼┼─╲ ╲╱
○──┼──○
│
●──┼──●
▽
≡≡≡ ╱ ☾ ╲ ╲ ┼ ╱ ≡≡≡
†─┐ ┌─†
├─┤
†─┘ └─†
·
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
| † | thorn — seals intention |
| ╳ | crossing — decision point |
| ◇ | hollow — holds contents |
| ○● | node — receive / store |
| ≡ | strata — foundation |
| ☾ | tide — decay and return |
| ▽ | drain — directed release |
| · | seed — not yet grown |
| ? | — entry withheld — |
R1. one line. the original drawing must be completable without lifting the pen. the ascii rebuild may cheat; the source may not. the source knows when you cheat.
R2. at least one thorn. no exceptions have survived. this is a record of outcomes, not a rule.
R3. asymmetry somewhere. perfect symmetry is inert. the mark needs an imbalance to want to move. yes: want.
R4. maximum seven strokes. past seven it is no longer an illustration problem.
R5. name it after what it does. never after what it looks like. never after yourself.
R6. if it can be mistaken for a logo, burn it. if it cannot be burned, stop reading the rules.