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.