..=:=*@@## ##@@*=:=..
..=:=*@### ###@*=:=..
..=:=*@@## ##@@*=:=..
.......==@ @==.......
....=:==@@ @@==:=....
.......:*@ =* =*= *= @*:.......
....===@@# =*=**==. .===**=*= #@@===....
.......:*@ =* =* ... .. 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. @@@**=:=..
.....=:=@@ @@=:=.....
..=:=*@@## ##@@*=:=..
..=:=*@@## ##@@*=:=..
..=:=*@@## ##@@*=:=..
..=:=*@@## ##@@*=:=..
..=:::=*@@ @@*=:::=..