.#..##..## #.##....#.
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#...#.#... ..#.##....
.#.....#.. #...###...
..#.....#. ##..#.##..
...#.....# †& †&† &† .##...###.
....#..... †&†&&~~. .~~†&&†&† .###..#.##
#....#.... †& †& --- .. 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. ###....#..
....#...## #.##....#.
.....#..#. ..###....#
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