.....~***§ §***~.....
....~***§@ @§***~....
...~***§@# #@§***~...
..~***§@## ##@§***~..
...~***§@# #@§***~...
....~***§@ ** *** ** @§***~....
.....~***§ *****~~. .~~****** §***~.....
......~*** ** ** ... .. 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. @§***~....
...~***§@# #@§***~...
..~***§@## ##@§***~..
...~***§@# #@§***~...
....~***§@ @§***~....
.....~***§ §***~.....
......~*** ***~......