#..#..##.. #.##.#.#..
.#..#.###. ..##....#.
..#...#.## ..###....#
#..#....## ..#.##....
.#..#...#. #...###...
..#..#.... $¤ $¤$ ¤$ ##..#.##..
...#..#... $¤$¤¤~~. .~~$¤¤$¤$ .##...###.
....#..#.. $¤ $¤ ^^^ .. magic .. ^^^ ¤$ ¤$ .###..#.##
#....#..#. $¤$¤¤~~. .~~¤¤$¤$ .#.##...##
##....#..# $¤ $¤$ ¤$ ...###..#.
###....#.. #..#.##...
#.##....#. 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. ##....#..#
#...#.##.. ###....#..
.#....###. #.##....#.
..#...#.## ..###....#
#..#....## ..#.##....
.#..#...#. #...###...
..#..#.... ##..#.##..