......^=:$                                          $:=^......
.....^=:$§                                          §$:=^.....
....^=:$§§                                          §§$:=^....
...^=:$§§#                                          #§§$:=^...
..^=:$§§##                                          ##§§$:=^..
.^=:$§§###                $§ $§$ §$                 ###§§$:=^.
..^=:$§§##          $§$§§==.    .==$§§$§$           ##§§$:=^..
...^=:$§§# $§  $§  ^^^  ..   MAGIC  ..  ^^^  §$  §$ #§§$:=^...
....^=:$§§           $§$§§==.    .==§§$§$           §§$:=^....
.....^=:$§                 $§ $§$ §$                §$:=^.....
......^=:$                                          $:=^......
.......^=:   MAGIC IS ABOUT BEING UNACCOUNTABLE,    :=^.......
........^= ABOUT REMOVING THE SOURCE  OF THE ACTION =^........
.........^ FROM YOURSELF.  IT WORKS BY EXPLOITING A ^.........
..........        KIND OF GRAVITY, CALLED THE       ..........
..........              ARROW OF TIME.              ..........
..........                                          ..........
.........^ THINGS IN THIS UNIVERSE ALWAYS  SEEK THE ^.........
........^= LEAST ENERGETIC STATE. ALL POTENTIAL  IS =^........
.......^=: GRADUALLY  LOST  INTO LESSER FORMS (SUCH :=^.......
......^=:$                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.           §$:=^.....
....^=:$§§                                          §§$:=^....
...^=:$§§#                                          #§§$:=^...
..^=:$§§##                                          ##§§$:=^..
.^=:$§§###                                          ###§§$:=^.
..^=:$§§##                                          ##§§$:=^..
...^=:$§§#                                          #§§$:=^...