@........@ ..@....@..
.@........ ...@....@.
..@....... @...@....@
@..@...... @@...@....
.@..@..... .@@...@...
..@..@.... %@ %@% @% .@@@...@..
...@..@... %@%@@««. .««%@@%@% .@.@@...@.
....@..@.. %@ %@ ::: .. 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. .@....@..@
@........@ ..@....@..
.@........ ...@....@.
..@....... @...@....@
@..@...... @@...@....
.@..@..... .@@...@...
..@..@.... .@@@...@..