####%$*«~. .~«*$%####
###%$*«~.. ..~«*$%###
##%$*«~... ...~«*$%##
#%$*«~.... ....~«*$%#
%$*«~..... .....~«*$%
$*«~...... $% $%$ %$ ......~«*$
*«~....... $%$%%««. .««$%%$%$ .......~«*
$*«~...... $% $% ~~~ .. magic .. ~~~ %$ %$ ......~«*$
%$*«~..... $%$%%««. .««%%$%$ .....~«*$%
#%$*«~.... $% $%$ %$ ....~«*$%#
##%$*«~... ...~«*$%##
###%$*«~.. 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. ..~«*$%###
##%$*«~... ...~«*$%##
#%$*«~.... ....~«*$%#
%$*«~..... .....~«*$%
$*«~...... ......~«*$
*«~....... .......~«*
$*«~...... ......~«*$