..&.&.&..& .&&&&&...&
.&&&&&&.&. &....&..&&
&.....&&&. &...&&.&.&
&....&..&. &..&.&&&&.
&...&&.&&& &.&&&...&&
&..&.&&... ^% ^%^ %^ &&..&..&..
&.&&&.&..& ^%^%%««. .««^%%^%^ .&.&&.&&.&
&&..&&&.&. ^% ^% ... .. 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. .&&&&&&.&.
&&.&.&.&&. &.....&&&.
.&&&&&&.&. &....&..&&
&.....&&&. &...&&.&.&
&....&..&. &..&.&&&&.
&...&&.&&& &.&&&...&&
&..&.&&... &&..&..&..