##@@^^:... ...:^^@@##
@@@@@†^~:. .:~^†@@@@@
###@@†^~:. .:~^†@@###
##@@^~.... ....~^@@##
##@@^^:... ...:^^@@##
@@††††^~:. †@ †@† @† .:~^††††@@
###@@†^~:. †@†@@~~. .~~†@@†@† .:~^†@@###
###@@†^~:. †@ †@ ::: .. 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. ..::^^^^@#
###@@†^~:. .:~^†@@###
###@@†^~:. .:~^†@@###
#@@†^^^~:. .:~^^^†@@#
####@†^~:. .:~^†@####
@@†^~:.... ....:~^†@@
###@@†^~:. .:~^†@@###