#@#@@^:-.. ..-:^@@#@#
@#@@^:-... ...-:^@@#@
#@@^:-.... ....-:^@@#
@@^:-..... .....-:^@@
@^:-...... ......-:^@
^:-....... ^@ ^@^ @^ .......-:^
:-........ ^@^@@--. .--^@@^@^ ........-:
-......... ^@ ^@ ... .. 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. .......-:^
:-........ ........-:
-......... .........-
:-........ ........-:
^:-....... .......-:^
@^:-...... ......-:^@
@@^:-..... .....-:^@@