@&&^\:.... ....:\^&&@
##@¤&^\»:. .:»\^&¤@##
##@¤&^\»:. .:»\^&¤@##
@¤&&&^\»:. .:»\^&&&¤@
##@¤&^\»:. .:»\^&¤@##
##@¤&^\»:. ^& ^&^ &^ .:»\^&¤@##
##@¤&^\»:. ^&^&&»». .»»^&&^&^ .:»\^&¤@##
¤^^^^^\»:. ^& ^& ::: .. 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. ......:\^¤
¤^^\:..... .....:\^^¤
###¤&^\»:. .:»\^&¤###
@@&&&^\»:. .:»\^&&&@@
@&^\»..... .....»\^&@
##@¤&^\»:. .:»\^&¤@##
##@¤&^\»:. .:»\^&¤@##