&.&&.&..&. ....&..&..
&&&.&&&.&& &...&&.&&.
&..&&..&&. &&..&.&&.&
.&.&.&.&.& &.&.&&&.&&
&&&&&&&&&& .&&&&..&&.
&......... *& *&* &* .&...&.&.&
.&........ *&*&&--. .--*&&*&* .&&..&&&&&
&&&....... *& *& ::: .. 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. ....&&&...
&.&&.&..&. ....&..&..
&&&.&&&.&& &...&&.&&.
&..&&..&&. &&..&.&&.&
.&.&.&.&.& &.&.&&&.&&
&&&&&&&&&& .&&&&..&&.
&......... .&...&.&.&