.....^=\†%                                          %†\=^.....
......^=\†                                          †\=^......
.......^=\                                          \=^.......
........^=                                          =^........
.........^                                          ^.........
..........                 †% †%† %†                ..........
..........           †%†%%==.    .==†%%†%†          ..........
.......... †%  †%   ^^^  ..  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.           =^........
.......^=\                                          \=^.......
......^=\†                                          †\=^......
.....^=\†%                                          %†\=^.....
....^=\†%¤                                          ¤%†\=^....
...^=\†%¤#                                          #¤%†\=^...
..^=\†%¤##                                          ##¤%†\=^..