@.@..@@..@ ..@..@@.@.
@@@.@.@.@. .@@.@.@@@@
..@@@@@@@. @.@@@@....
.@......@@ @@...@....
@@.....@.. .@..@@....
.@....@@.@ †¤ †¤† ¤† @@.@.@...@
@@...@.@@. †¤†¤¤~~. .~~†¤¤†¤† .@@@@@..@@
.@..@@@.@. †¤ †¤ ... .. 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. .@..@...@@
.@.@@..@@. @@.@@..@.@
@@@.@.@.@. .@@.@.@@@@
..@@@@@@@. @.@@@@....
.@......@@ @@...@....
@@.....@.. .@..@@....
.@....@@.@ @@.@.@...@