.,«=*§####                                          ####§*=«,.
.,«=*§####                                          ####§*=«,.
.......«*#                                          #*«.......
....«===*#                                          #*===«....
.,«=*§####                                          ####§*=«,.
.,«=*§####                 *§ *§* §*                ####§*=«,.
.,««««=§##           *§*§§««.    .««*§§*§*          ##§=««««,.
.,«=*§§§## *§  *§  ,,,  ..  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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.....,«**#                                          #**«,.....