.~~^^@§@@# #@@§@^^~~.
..~~^^@§@@ @@§@^^~~..
...~~^^@§@ @§@^^~~...
....~~^^@§ §@^^~~....
.....~~^^@ @^^~~.....
......~~^^ ^@ ^@^ @^ ^^~~......
.......~~^ ^@^@@~~. .~~^@@^@^ ^~~.......
......~~^^ ^@ ^@ ~~~ .. 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. @@§@^^~~..
...~~^^@§@ @§@^^~~...
....~~^^@§ §@^^~~....
.....~~^^@ @^^~~.....
......~~^^ ^^~~......
.......~~^ ^~~.......
......~~^^ ^^~~......