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.