....@..@.@                                          @...@.@..@
@....@...@                                          .@.....@..
.@....@...                                          ..@.....@.
..@....@..                                          @..@.....@
@..@....@.                                          .@..@.....
.@..@....@                $¤ $¤$ ¤$                 ..@..@....
..@..@....           $¤$¤¤==.    .==$¤¤$¤$          ...@..@...
...@..@... $¤  $¤  ...  ..  MAGIC   ..  ...  ¤$  ¤$ @...@..@..
....@..@..           $¤$¤¤==.    .==¤¤$¤$           @@...@..@.
.....@..@.                 $¤ $¤$ ¤$                .@@...@..@
@.....@..@                                          .@@@...@..
.@.....@..    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.           .....@..@.
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