@@@@$^†«,. .,«†^$@@@@
###@$^†«,. .,«†^$@###
###@$^†«,. .,«†^$@###
###@$^†«,. .,«†^$@###
###@$^†«,. .,«†^$@###
###@$^†«,. ^$ ^$^ $^ .,«†^$@###
@$†««,.... ^$^$$««. .««^$$^$^ ....,««†$@
#@@@$^†«,. ^$ ^$ ,,, .. 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. ..,,†^^$##
####$^†«,. .,«†^$####
#$†,...... ......,†$#
@^†«,..... .....,«†^@
##@^«,,,,. .,,,,«^@##
@^«,,..... .....,,«^@
####@$†«,. .,«†$@####