##@:~..... .....~:@##
#@#@@%:~.. ..~:%@@#@#
@@::...... ......::@@
##@#@%:~.. ..~:%@#@##
#@#@@%:~.. ..~:%@@#@#
#@#@@%:~.. %@ %@% @% ..~:%@@#@#
@#@::~.... %@%@@~~. .~~%@@%@% ....~::@#@
@%:~...... %@ %@ ... .. 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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#@#@@%:~.. ..~:%@@#@#
@%~....... .......~%@
###@@%:~.. ..~:%@@###