&&&&%*†~-. .-~†*%&&&&
#&*~...... ......~*
#&*†-..... .....-†*
@@&&%*†~-. .-~†*%&&@@
##@&%*†~-. .-~†*%&@##
#@@&%*†~-. *% *%* %* .-~†*%&@@#
##@&%*†~-. *%*%%~~. .~~*%%*%* .-~†*%&@##
&&%*†~.... *% *% --- .. 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. .-†*%&@###
##@&%*†~-. .-~†*%&@##
&%%*†~~-.. ..-~~†*%%&
##@&%*†~-. .-~†*%&@##
@@&%%*†~-. .-~†*%%&@@
@%††-..... .....-††%@
##@&%*†~-. .-~†*%&@##