@%%==..... .....==%%@
@@%=====~. .~=====%@@
@%^=~..... .....~=^%@
#@%=~..... .....~=%@#
@@^=...... ......=^@@
@%^=~~.... ^% ^%^ %^ ....~~=^%@
###@%^==~. ^%^%%==. .==^%%^%^ .~==^%@###
####@%==~. ^% ^% ~~~ .. 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. .~==^%@###
##@^==.... ....==^@##
###@%^==~. .~==^%@###
###@%^==~. .~==^%@###
###@%^==~. .~==^%@###
##%=~~.... ....~~=%##
###@%^==~. .~==^%@###