####%=^-~. .~-^=%####
####%=^-~. .~-^=%####
#%^^-~.... ....~-^^%#
####%=^-~. .~-^=%####
###===^-~. .~-^===###
##%%%=^-~. =% =%= %= .~-^=%%%##
####%=^-~. =%=%%--. .--=%%=%= .~-^=%####
####%=^-~. =% =% ~~~ .. 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. .~-^=%####
####%=^-~. .~-^=%####
#%^^^^~~~. .~~~^^^^%#
###=--.... ....--=###
####%=^-~. .~-^=%####
####%=^-~. .~-^=%####
####%=^-~. .~-^=%####