§$$/......                                          ....../$$§
#§%~~.....                                          .....~~%§#
##¶§$%/~..                                          ..~/%$§¶##
##¶§$%/~..                                          ..~/%$§¶##
##¶§$%/~..                                          ..~/%$§¶##
##¶§$%/~..                 %$ %$% $%                ..~/%$§¶##
¶$%//.....           %$%$$~~.    .~~%$$%$%          .....//%$¶
#¶¶§$%/~.. %$  %$  ...  ..  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.           ...~~~//$§
##¶§$%/~..                                          ..~/%$§¶##
###¶§$%/..                                          ../%$§¶###
##¶§$%/~..                                          ..~/%$§¶##
¶¶¶§$%/~..                                          ..~/%$§¶¶¶
§%///~~...                                          ...~~///%§
##¶§$%/~..                                          ..~/%$§¶##