&&...&&&.. &.&.&&&&..
&.&..&..&. &&&&&...&.
&&&&.&&.&& &....&..&&
....&&.&&. .&...&&.&.
....&.&&.& &&&..&.&&&
&...&&&.&& $& $&$ &$ ...&.&&&..
&&..&..&&. $&$&&==. .==$&&$&$ &..&&&..&.
&.&.&&.&.& $& $& ,,, .. MAGIC .. ,,, &$ &$ .&.&..&.&&
.&&&&.&&&& $&$&&==. .==&&$&$ &&&&&.&&&.
.&...&&... $& $&$ &$ &....&&..&
&&&..&.&.. .&...&.&.&
...&.&&&&. 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. &..&&&&&.&
..&&&...&& .&.&....&&
&.&..&..&. &&&&&...&.
&&&&.&&.&& &....&..&&
....&&.&&. .&...&&.&.
....&.&&.& &&&..&.&&&
&...&&&.&& ...&.&&&..