.-~\^$#@## ##@#$^\~-.
..-~\^$#@# #@#$^\~-..
...-~\^$#@ @#$^\~-...
....-~\^$# #$^\~-....
.....-~\^$ $^\~-.....
......-~\^ ^$ ^$^ $^ ^\~-......
.......-~\ ^$^$$~~. .~~^$$^$^ \~-.......
........-~ ^$ ^$ --- .. 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.. $^\~-.....
......-~\^ MAYBE FOR THE BEST. ^\~-......
.......-~\ \~-.......
........-~ ~-........
.......-~\ \~-.......
......-~\^ ^\~-......
.....-~\^$ $^\~-.....
....-~\^$# #$^\~-....