$=;«~..... .....~«;=$
=;«~...... ......~«;=
;«~....... .......~«;
«~........ ........~«
;«~....... .......~«;
=;«~...... =$ =$= $= ......~«;=
$=;«~..... =$=$$««. .««=$$=$= .....~«;=$
@$=;«~.... =$ =$ ~~~ .. 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. ......~«;=
$=;«~..... .....~«;=$
@$=;«~.... ....~«;=$@
@@$=;«~... ...~«;=$@@
#@@$=;«~.. ..~«;=$@@#
##@@$=;«~. .~«;=$@@##
#@@$=;«~.. ..~«;=$@@#