.~«=†&#¶##                                          ##¶#&†=«~.
.~~~~=&&#¶                                          ¶#&&=~~~~.
.~«=†&#¶##                                          ##¶#&†=«~.
.~«=†&####                                          ####&†=«~.
.~«=†&#¶##                                          ##¶#&†=«~.
.~«=†&&&&#                †& †&† &†                 #&&&&†=«~.
....~~«=†#          †&†&&««.    .««†&&†&†           #†=«~~....
.~«=†&#¶## †&  †&  ~~~  ..   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.            ####&†=«~.
.~«=†&#¶##                                          ##¶#&†=«~.
.~=†&#¶###                                          ###¶#&†=~.
.~«««««†##                                          ##†«««««~.
....~=††##                                          ##††=~....
.~«=†&¶###                                          ###¶&†=«~.
.~«=†&####                                          ####&†=«~.