...~~:*£## ##£*:~~...
....~~:*£# #£*:~~....
.....~~:*£ £*:~~.....
......~~:* *:~~......
.......~~: :~~.......
........~~ *£ *£* £* ~~........
.........~ *£*££~~. .~~*££*£* ~.........
.......... *£ *£ ~~~ .. 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. #£*:~~....
.....~~:*£ £*:~~.....
......~~:* *:~~......
.......~~: :~~.......
........~~ ~~........
.........~ ~.........
.......... ..........