...~«=$%##                                          ##%$=«~...
..~«=$%###                                          ###%$=«~..
.~«=$%####                                          ####%$=«~.
..~«=$%###                                          ###%$=«~..
...~«=$%##                                          ##%$=«~...
....~«=$%#                 $% $%$ %$                #%$=«~....
.....~«=$%           $%$%%««.    .««$%%$%$          %$=«~.....
......~«=$ $%  $%  ~~~  ..  magic  ..  ~~~   %$  %$ $=«~......
.......~«=           $%$%%««.    .««%%$%$           =«~.......
........~«                $% $%$ %$                 «~........
.......~«=                                          =«~.......
......~«=$    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.            #%$=«~....
.....~«=$%                                          %$=«~.....
......~«=$                                          $=«~......
.......~«=                                          =«~.......
........~«                                          «~........
.......~«=                                          =«~.......
......~«=$                                          $=«~......