.........- -.........
........-~ ~-........
.......-~: :~-.......
......-~:% %:~-......
.....-~:%¤ ¤%:~-.....
....-~:%¤& %¤ %¤% ¤% &¤%:~-....
...-~:%¤&£ %¤%¤¤~~. .~~%¤¤%¤% £&¤%:~-...
..-~:%¤&£# %¤ %¤ --- .. 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. ~-........
.......-~: :~-.......
......-~:% %:~-......
.....-~:%¤ ¤%:~-.....
....-~:%¤& &¤%:~-....
...-~:%¤&£ £&¤%:~-...
..-~:%¤&£# #£&¤%:~-..