¨--=*&¤@## ##@¤&*=--¨
¨¨¨¨¨--=&¤ ¤&=--¨¨¨¨¨
¨--=*&¤¤¤# #¤¤¤&*=--¨
¨--=*&¤@## ##@¤&*=--¨
¨--=*&¤@## ##@¤&*=--¨
¨--=*&¤@## *& *&* &* ##@¤&*=--¨
¨--=*&¤@## *&*&&--¨ ¨--*&&*&* ##@¤&*=--¨
¨¨¨---*&@# *& *& --- ¨¨ 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. @@¤&&*=--¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨--*¤ ¤*--¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-=*&¤¤ ¤¤&*=-¨¨¨¨
¨--=****¤@ @¤****=--¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-=&¤ ¤&=-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨--=*&¤@## ##@¤&*=--¨
¨--=*&¤@## ##@¤&*=--¨