#@@%†*«~.. ..~«*†%@@#
##@@%†*«~. .~«*†%@@##
#@@%†*«~.. ..~«*†%@@#
@@%†*«~... ...~«*†%@@
@%†*«~.... ....~«*†%@
%†*«~..... †% †%† %† .....~«*†%
†*«~...... †%†%%««. .««†%%†%† ......~«*†
*«~....... †% †% ~~~ .. 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. .~«*†%@@##
#@@%†*«~.. ..~«*†%@@#
@@%†*«~... ...~«*†%@@
@%†*«~.... ....~«*†%@
%†*«~..... .....~«*†%
†*«~...... ......~«*†
*«~....... .......~«*