@@##*$/~.. ..~/$*##@@
@###*$/~.. ..~/$*###@
@##*/..... ...../*##@
#@@#*$/~.. ..~/$*#@@#
#@@#*$/~.. ..~/$*#@@#
@@@#*$/~.. $* $*$ *$ ..~/$*#@@@
##@#*$/~.. $*$**~~. .~~$**$*$ ..~/$*#@##
##@#*$/~.. $* $* ... .. magic .. ... *$ *$ ..~/$*#@##
#@@#*$/~.. $*$**~~. .~~**$*$ ..~/$*#@@#
##*//~.... $* $*$ *$ ....~//*##
#$~~...... ......~~$#
@#$/~..... magic is about being unaccountable, .....~/$#@
@#*$//~~.. about removing the source of the action ..~~//$*#@
#@@#*$/~.. from yourself. it works by exploiting a ..~/$*#@@#
@@#*/~~~.. 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 ...~~$$#@@
@@@#*$/~.. any self-closing mechanisms - a breach. ..~/$*#@@@
@##*$~.... ....~$*##@
@*$~...... these are usually catastrophic. ......~$*@
@@@#*$/~.. although many are local, they stay ..~/$*#@@@
@@@#*$/~.. active until closed off by counter ..~/$*#@@@
@@@#*$/~.. spells (hard to pull off) or there's no ..~/$*#@@@
@@*$/~.... more energy to fall through. ....~/$*@@
#@@#*$/~.. ..~/$*#@@#
##@#*$/~.. in that case the outcome depends on the ..~/$*#@##
@#$~...... spell. small-scale breaches might not ......~$#@
#@@#*$/~.. even be noticeable by the uninitiated; ..~/$*#@@#
#$~....... but a spell might also very well bring .......~$#
##$~...... about the heat death of the universe. ......~$##
#@@#*$/~.. ..~/$*#@@#
#@@#*$/~.. ..~/$*#@@#
@**/~..... $*$ .....~/**@
@@**$~~... ...~~$**@@
##@@*$/~.. ..~/$*@@##
#@@#*$/~.. well. it is what it is. a dying art.. ..~/$*#@@#
@@@#*$/~.. maybe for the best. ..~/$*#@@@
@@@#*$/~.. ..~/$*#@@@
#@@#*$/~.. ..~/$*#@@#
##@#*$/~.. ..~/$*#@##
##@#*$/~.. ..~/$*#@##
#*$~...... ......~$*#
#@@#*$/~.. ..~/$*#@@#