#&%\«-.... ....-«\%
##&%\«-... ...-«\%#
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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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&%\«-..... .....-«\%&
#&%\«-.... ....-«\%
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###&%\«-.. ..-«\%##
####&%\«-. .-«\%###