@&&%~..... .....~%&&@
@@#&%%:~^. .^~:%%&#@@
##@#%%:~^. .^~:%%#@##
##%%%:~~^. .^~~:%%%##
##%::^^... ...^^::%##
#@#&%%:~^. %% %%% %% .^~:%%&#@#
#&%:^..... %%%%%~~. .~~%%%%%% .....^:%&#
#%%~^..... %% %% ^^^ .. 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. ...^^:%%#@
&%:~...... ......~:%&
###&%%:~^. .^~:%%&###
#%%~...... ......~%%#
#@#&%%:~^. .^~:%%&#@#
##@&%%:~^. .^~:%%&@##
&%:~~~.... ....~~~:%&