...~^*&§##                                          ##§&*^~...
..~^*&§###                                          ###§&*^~..
...~^*&§##                                          ##§&*^~...
....~^*&§#                                          #§&*^~....
.....~^*&§                                          §&*^~.....
......~^*&                *& *&* &*                 &*^~......
.......~^*           *&*&&~~.    .~~*&&*&*          *^~.......
......~^*& *&  *&  ...  ..  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.           ###§&*^~..
...~^*&§##                                          ##§&*^~...
....~^*&§#                                          #§&*^~....
.....~^*&§                                          §&*^~.....
......~^*&                                          &*^~......
.......~^*                                          *^~.......
......~^*&                                          &*^~......