&&&..&.&.& ..&&&&&.&.
..&.&&&&&& .&....&&&&
.&&&...... &&...&...&
&..&.....& .&..&&..&&
&.&&....&. &&.&.&.&..
&&.&...&&& §% §%§ %§ .&&&&&&&.&
.&&&..&... §%§%%~~. .~~§%%§%§ &......&&.
&..&.&&..& §% §% ,,, .. 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. ...&.&.&&.
&&&..&.&.& ..&&&&&.&.
..&.&&&&&& .&....&&&&
.&&&...... &&...&...&
&..&.....& .&..&&..&&
&.&&....&. &&.&.&.&..
&&.&...&&& .&&&&&&&.&