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.