@@£$%†=...                                          ...=†%$£@@
#@@£$%†=..                                          ..=†%$£@@#
@@£$%†=...                                          ...=†%$£@@
@£$%†=....                                          ....=†%$£@
£$%†=.....                                          .....=†%$£
$%†=......                 %$ %$% $%                ......=†%$
%†=.......           %$%$$==.    .==%$$%$%          .......=†%
†=........ %$  %$  ...  ..  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.. .....=†%$£
$%†=......           maybe for the best.            ......=†%$
%†=.......                                          .......=†%
†=........                                          ........=†
=.........                                          .........=
†=........                                          ........=†
%†=.......                                          .......=†%
$%†=......                                          ......=†%$