.:~^^&@£## ##£@&^^~:.
..:~^^&@£# #£@&^^~:..
...:~^^&@£ £@&^^~:...
....:~^^&@ @&^^~:....
.....:~^^& &^^~:.....
......:~^^ ^& ^&^ &^ ^^~:......
.......:~^ ^&^&&~~. .~~^&&^&^ ^~:.......
......:~^^ ^& ^& ::: .. 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. #£@&^^~:..
...:~^^&@£ £@&^^~:...
....:~^^&@ @&^^~:....
.....:~^^& &^^~:.....
......:~^^ ^^~:......
.......:~^ ^~:.......
......:~^^ ^^~:......