#$$«^..... .....^«$$#
#@;;^..... .....^;;@#
####@$;«^. .^«;$@####
####@$;«^. .^«;$@####
####@$;«^. .^«;$@####
####@$;«^. $@ $@$ @$ .^«;$@####
####@$;«^. $@$@@««. .««$@@$@$ .^«;$@####
####@$;«^. $@ $@ ^^^ .. MAGIC .. ^^^ @$ @$ .^«;$@####
####@$;«^. $@$@@««. .««@@$@$ .^«;$@####
####@$;«^. $@ $@$ @$ .^«;$@####
####@$;«^. .^«;$@####
#@$;^..... 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 .....^;@@#
##@$$;^^.. ABOUT THE HEAT DEATH OF THE UNIVERSE. ..^^;$$@##
####@$;«^. .^«;$@####
###$$;«... ...«;$$###
####@$;«^. $@$ .^«;$@####
####@$;«^. .^«;$@####
##@@@$;«^. .^«;$@@@##
#$$$;^.... WELL. IT IS WHAT IT IS. A DYING ART.. ....^;$$$#
##@$«^^... MAYBE FOR THE BEST. ...^^«$@##
#@;«...... ......«;@#
####@$;«^. .^«;$@####
####@$;«^. .^«;$@####
####@$;«^. .^«;$@####
##@$;^.... ....^;$@##
####@$;«^. .^«;$@####