.....^«/^@                                          @^/«^.....
....^«/^@£                                          £@^/«^....
...^«/^@££                                          ££@^/«^...
..^«/^@££@                                          @££@^/«^..
.^«/^@££@#                                          #@££@^/«^.
..^«/^@££@                 ^@ ^@^ @^                @££@^/«^..
...^«/^@££          ^@^@@««.    .««^@@^@^           ££@^/«^...
....^«/^@£ ^@  ^@  ^^^  ..  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.            £@^/«^....
...^«/^@££                                          ££@^/«^...
..^«/^@££@                                          @££@^/«^..
.^«/^@££@#                                          #@££@^/«^.
..^«/^@££@                                          @££@^/«^..
...^«/^@££                                          ££@^/«^...
....^«/^@£                                          £@^/«^....