......^~†=                                          =†~^......
.....^~†=&                                          &=†~^.....
....^~†=&@                                          @&=†~^....
...^~†=&@@                                          @@&=†~^...
..^~†=&@@#                                          #@@&=†~^..
.^~†=&@@##                 =& =&= &=                ##@@&=†~^.
..^~†=&@@#           =&=&&~~.    .~~=&&=&=          #@@&=†~^..
...^~†=&@@ =&  =&   ^^^  ..  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.            &=†~^.....
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.......^~†                                          †~^.......
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