........-« «-........
.........- -.........
.......... ..........
.........- -.........
........-« «-........
.......-«* *@ *@* @* *«-.......
......-«** *@*@@««. .««*@@*@* **«-......
.....-«**@ *@ *@ --- .. 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. @**«-.....
....-«**@# #@**«-....
...-«**@## ##@**«-...
..-«**@### ###@**«-..
.-«**@#### ####@**«-.
..-«**@### ###@**«-..
...-«**@## ##@**«-...