=,........                                          ........,=
†=,.......                                          .......,=†
^†=,......                                          ......,=†^
*^†=,.....                                          .....,=†^*
§*^†=,....                                          ....,=†^*§
#§*^†=,...                 ^* ^*^ *^                ...,=†^*§#
##§*^†=,..          ^*^**==.    .==^**^*^           ..,=†^*§##
###§*^†=,. ^*  ^*  ,,,  ..  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.           ...,=†^*§#
§*^†=,....                                          ....,=†^*§
*^†=,.....                                          .....,=†^*
^†=,......                                          ......,=†^
†=,.......                                          .......,=†
=,........                                          ........,=
,.........                                          .........,