.:~\^§@¶## ##¶@§^\~:.
..:~\^§@¶# #¶@§^\~:..
...:~\^§@¶ ¶@§^\~:...
....:~\^§@ @§^\~:....
.....:~\^§ §^\~:.....
......:~\^ ^§ ^§^ §^ ^\~:......
.......:~\ ^§^§§~~. .~~^§§^§^ \~:.......
........:~ ^§ ^§ ::: .. 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. @§^\~:....
...:~\^§@¶ ¶@§^\~:...
..:~\^§@¶# #¶@§^\~:..
.:~\^§@¶## ##¶@§^\~:.
..:~\^§@¶# #¶@§^\~:..
...:~\^§@¶ ¶@§^\~:...
....:~\^§@ @§^\~:....