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...#.##... %% %%% %% ##..#.....
.....###.. %%%%%==. .==%%%%%% .##..#....
.....#.##. %% %% --- .. 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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