......,~=% %=~,......
.....,~=%¤ ¤%=~,.....
....,~=%¤¤ ¤¤%=~,....
...,~=%¤¤@ @¤¤%=~,...
..,~=%¤¤@# #@¤¤%=~,..
.,~=%¤¤@## %¤ %¤% ¤% ##@¤¤%=~,.
..,~=%¤¤@# %¤%¤¤~~. .~~%¤¤%¤% #@¤¤%=~,..
...,~=%¤¤@ %¤ %¤ ,,, .. 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. ¤%=~,.....
....,~=%¤¤ ¤¤%=~,....
...,~=%¤¤@ @¤¤%=~,...
..,~=%¤¤@# #@¤¤%=~,..
.,~=%¤¤@## ##@¤¤%=~,.
..,~=%¤¤@# #@¤¤%=~,..
...,~=%¤¤@ @¤¤%=~,...