##..#..... ##.#....#.
###..#.... .#..#.....
#.##..#... ..#..#....
..###..#.. ...#..#...
..#.##..#. ....#..#..
....###..# ^% ^%^ %^ .....#..#.
....#.##.. ^%^%%--. .--^%%^%^ ......#..#
#.....###. ^% ^% ,,, .. 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. ..#.....##
##..#..... #..#....#.
###..#.... .#..#.....
#.##..#... ..#..#....
..###..#.. ...#..#...
..#.##..#. ....#..#..
....###..# .....#..#.