##@#&=*~:. .:~*=&#@##
##@£#&=~:. .:~=&#£@##
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#@£#&=*~:. .:~*=&#£@#
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#@£#&=*~:. =& =&= &= .:~*=&#£@#
##£#&=*~:. =&=&&~~. .~~=&&=&= .:~*=&#£##
#@£#&=*~:. =& =& ::: .. magic .. ::: &= &= .:~*=&#£@#
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#@£#&=*~:. =& =&= &= .:~*=&#£@#
£###&=*~:. .:~*=&###£
@#&*::.... 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. .:~*=&#£@@
#@£#&=*~:. .:~*=&#£@#
#&&=*~~:.. ..:~~*=&&#
#@£#&=*~:. .:~*=&#£@#
#@£#&=*~:. .:~*=&#£@#
##£#&=*~:. .:~*=&#£##
#=~~::.... ....::~~=#