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...###..#. ^$^$$==. .==^$$^$^ ..#.......
...#.##... ^$ ^$ --- .. 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. ..#..#....
.......### #..#..#...
.......#.# .#..#..#..
.........# ^$$ ^ ^ $$^ ..#..#..#.
.........# ...#..#..#
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.#........ 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. ##..#.##..
..#.##.... .##...###.
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#.##....## WELL. IT IS WHAT IT IS. A DYING ART.. .....###..
..###...#. MAYBE FOR THE BEST. .....#.##.
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