.~«^*$¤###                                          ###¤$*^«~.
.~«^**$¤¤#                                          #¤¤$**^«~.
....«**$$#                                          #$$**«....
.~«^*$¤###                                          ###¤$*^«~.
.~«^*$¤###                                          ###¤$*^«~.
.~«^$¤####                *$ *$* $*                 ####¤$^«~.
.~«^*$¤###          *$*$$««.    .««*$$*$*           ###¤$*^«~.
...««*$$¤# *$  *$  ~~~  ..  MAGIC  ..  ~~~  $*   $* #¤$$*««...
....~«*¤¤#           *$*$$««.    .««$$*$*           #¤¤*«~....
...««^*¤¤¤                *$ *$* $*                 ¤¤¤*^««...
.~«^*$¤###                                          ###¤$*^«~.
....~^*¤¤#    MAGIC IS ABOUT BEING UNACCOUNTABLE,   #¤¤*^~....
.~«^*$¤### 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.           ¤¤¤***^«~.
....~«*¤##                                          ##¤*«~....
..~~^^**$#                                          #$**^^~~..
.~^*$¤####                                          ####¤$*^~.
......~^$¤                                          ¤$^~......
.....~~^$#                                          #$^~~.....
.~«^*$$¤##                                          ##¤$$*^«~.