.........-                                          -.........
........-~                                          ~-........
.......-~†                                          †~-.......
......-~†^                                          ^†~-......
.....-~†^*                                          *^†~-.....
....-~†^*£                 ^* ^*^ *^                £*^†~-....
...-~†^*£#          ^*^**~~.    .~~^**^*^           #£*^†~-...
..-~†^*£#@ ^*  ^*  ---  ..   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. †~-.......
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.........-                                          -.........
..........                   ^*^                    ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
.........- WELL.  IT IS WHAT IT  IS.  A DYING ART.. -.........
........-~           MAYBE FOR THE BEST.            ~-........
.......-~†                                          †~-.......
......-~†^                                          ^†~-......
.....-~†^*                                          *^†~-.....
....-~†^*£                                          £*^†~-....
...-~†^*£#                                          #£*^†~-...
..-~†^*£#@                                          @#£*^†~-..