&$:~-..... .....-~:$&
$:~-...... ......-~:$
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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 .......-~:
$:~-...... SPELLS (HARD TO PULL OFF) OR THERE'S NO ......-~:$
&$:~-..... MORE ENERGY TO FALL THROUGH. .....-~:$&
#&$:~-.... ....-~:$
@#&$:~-... IN THAT CASE THE OUTCOME DEPENDS ON THE ...-~:$@
#@#&$:~-.. SPELL. SMALL-SCALE BREACHES MIGHT NOT ..-~:$@#
##@#&$:~-. EVEN BE NOTICEABLE BY THE UNINITIATED; .-~:$@##
#@#&$:~-.. BUT A SPELL MIGHT ALSO VERY WELL BRING ..-~:$@#
@#&$:~-... ABOUT THE HEAT DEATH OF THE UNIVERSE. ...-~:$@
#&$:~-.... ....-~:$
&$:~-..... .....-~:$&
$:~-...... $&$ ......-~:$
:~-....... .......-~:
~-........ ........-~
:~-....... WELL. IT IS WHAT IT IS. A DYING ART.. .......-~:
$:~-...... MAYBE FOR THE BEST. ......-~:$
&$:~-..... .....-~:$&
#&$:~-.... ....-~:$
@#&$:~-... ...-~:$@
#@#&$:~-.. ..-~:$@#
##@#&$:~-. .-~:$@##
#@#&$:~-.. ..-~:$@#