«:........ ........:«
/«:....... .......:«/
†/«:...... ......:«/†
$†/«:..... .....:«/†$
@$†/«:.... ....:«/†$@
@@$†/«:... †$ †$† $† ...:«/†$@@
#@@$†/«:.. †$†$$««. .««†$$†$† ..:«/†$@@#
##@@$†/«:. †$ †$ ::: .. 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. ........:«
/«:....... .......:«/
†/«:...... ......:«/†
$†/«:..... †$† .....:«/†$
@$†/«:.... ....:«/†$@
@@$†/«:... ...:«/†$@@
#@@$†/«:.. WELL. IT IS WHAT IT IS. A DYING ART.. ..:«/†$@@#
##@@$†/«:. MAYBE FOR THE BEST. .:«/†$@@##
#@@$†/«:.. ..:«/†$@@#
@@$†/«:... ...:«/†$@@
@$†/«:.... ....:«/†$@
$†/«:..... .....:«/†$
†/«:...... ......:«/†
/«:....... .......:«/