@%:,...... ......,:%@
#@#@§%:»,. .,»:%§@#@#
#@#@§%:»,. .,»:%§@#@#
#@#@§%:»,. .,»:%§@#@#
#@%»,..... .....,»%@#
@@§%»»,... %§ %§% §% ...,»»%§@@
@@§:»».... %§%§§»». .»»%§§%§% ....»»:§@@
#@#@§%:»,. %§ %§ ,,, .. 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. .,»:%§@#@#
@#§%»»»,,. .,,»»»%§#@
@@#@§%:»,. .,»:%§@#@@
@@@%::,... ...,::%@@@
@@#@§%:»,. .,»:%§@#@@
#@#@§%:»,. .,»:%§@#@#
@@@@§%:»,. .,»:%§@@@@