..~:*&&&¤¤ ¤¤&&&*:~..
....~::*¤# #¤*::~....
......~* #&*~......
.....::* #&*::.....
..~:**&# ##&&**:~..
.~:*&¤#### *& *&* &* ####¤&*:~.
..~:*&¤### *&*&&~~. .~~*&&*&* ###¤&*:~..
......~:&¤ *& *& ... .. 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. ###¤&*:~..
..~:*&¤### ###¤&*:~..
..~:*&¤### ###¤&*:~..
......~~*¤ ¤*~~......
.....::: #&:::.....
..~:*&¤### ###¤&*:~..
..~:*&¤### ###¤&*:~..