...##...##                                          #....###.#
..#.#..#..                                          #...#..###
.####.##.#                                          #..##.#..#
#...##.###                                          #.#.###.##
#..#.##...                                          ####..##..
#.###.#..#                 †£ †£† £†                ...#.#.#.#
##..###.##           †£†££~~.    .~~†££†£†          ..#######.
.#.#..##.. †£   †£  :::  ..  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.            ##.#.####.
###..###..                                          .####...#.
..#.#..#..                                          #...#..###
.####.##.#                                          #..##.#..#
#...##.###                                          #.#.###.##
#..#.##...                                          ####..##..
#.###.#..#                                          ...#.#.#.#