....--†$@#                                          #@$†--....
.,-†$@###@                                          @###@$†-,.
.,-†$@##@@                                          @@##@$†-,.
...,†$$@#@                                          @#@$$†,...
.,-†$@##@#                                          #@##@$†-,.
....-$@###                 $@ $@$ @$                ###@$-....
.,-††††$##           $@$@@--.    .--$@@$@$          ##$††††-,.
.,-†$@##@# $@  $@  ,,,  ..  magic   ..  ,,,  @$  @$ #@##@$†-,.
.,-†$@##@#           $@$@@--.    .--@@$@$           #@##@$†-,.
..,,-††$$#                 $@ $@$ @$                #$$††-,,..
..,-†$$###                                          ###$$†-,..
.,-†$@##@#    magic is about being unaccountable,   #@##@$†-,.
.,-†$@###@ about removing the  source of the action @###@$†-,.
.,-†$@##@# from yourself. it works by exploiting  a #@##@$†-,.
.,,,,,-$$#        kind of gravity, called the       #$$-,,,,,.
.,-†$@##@#              arrow of time.              #@##@$†-,.
.,-†$@##@#                                          #@##@$†-,.
....,-$@#@ things in this universe always  seek the @#@$-,....
.,-†$@##@# least energetic state. all potential  is #@##@$†-,.
.,-†$@##@# gradually  lost into lesser forms  (such #@##@$†-,.
..,-††$##@                as heat).                 @##$††-,..
.....,†@#@                                          @#@†,.....
......-$@#     magic then, is creating tunnels,     #@$-......
.,-†$@##@# specific and intricate canals,  for this #@##@$†-,.
...,-†$$$# to happen  in a controlled manner. think #$$$†-,...
.......-$# of it as setting an  elaborate trap  for #$-.......
.,-†$@##@#                 entropy.                 #@##@$†-,.
....,,†$#@                                          @#$†,,....
....-††$## and then, when  the circuit  closes, the ##$††-....
.......-$# arrow  is  forced  to  do your  bidding! #$-.......
.,-†$@##@#                                          #@##@$†-,.
.,,--†$$@#   of course, you're also irreversably    #@$$†--,,.
.,-†$@#### draining  time from  the  universe,  but ####@$†-,.
.....-$$@#                   yeah.                  #@$$-.....
.....-$@@#                                          #@@$-.....
.,-†$@####                                          ####@$†-,.
.,-†$@##@#               $@@ $ $ @@$                #@##@$†-,.
.,-†$@##@#                                          #@##@$†-,.
.,-†$@##@#                                          #@##@$†-,.
.....-†$## 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  #@@††,....
.,-†$@##@# even  be  noticeable by the uninitiated; #@##@$†-,.
.,-†$$$$## but a  spell might also very well  bring ##$$$$†-,.
.,-†$##@## about the heat  death  of  the universe. ##@##$†-,.
...---$@##                                          ##@$---...
.,-†$@####                                          ####@$†-,.
.,-†$@##@#                   $@$                    #@##@$†-,.
.,-†$@###@                                          @###@$†-,.
......-$@#                                          #@$-......
.,-†$@##@# well.  it  is what it is. a dying  art.. #@##@$†-,.
.,-†$@##@#            maybe for the best.           #@##@$†-,.
.,-†$@#@##                                          ##@#@$†-,.
.,-†$@##@#                                          #@##@$†-,.
.....,†@@#                                          #@@†,.....
...-†$$$$#                                          #$$$$†-...
.,-†$@##@#                                          #@##@$†-,.
.,-†$@##@@                                          @@##@$†-,.