,,,,,,,,,:                                          :,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,:~                                          ~:,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:~=                                          =~:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,:~=*                                          *=~:,,,,,,
,,,,,:~=*$                                          $*=~:,,,,,
,,,,:~=*$#                *$ *$* $*                 #$*=~:,,,,
,,,:~=*$##          *$*$$~~,    ,~~*$$*$*           ##$*=~:,,,
,,:~=*$### *$  *$  :::  ,,  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.            ~:,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:~=                                          =~:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,:~=*                                          *=~:,,,,,,
,,,,,:~=*$                                          $*=~:,,,,,
,,,,:~=*$#                                          #$*=~:,,,,
,,,:~=*$##                                          ##$*=~:,,,
,,:~=*$###                                          ###$*=~:,,