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...~†@¤###                                          ###¤@†~...
..~†@¤####                %@ %@% @%                 ####¤@†~..
...~†@¤###           %@%@@~~.    .~~%@@%@%          ###¤@†~...
....~†@¤## %@  %@  ...  ..  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.           ####¤@†~..
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