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........^«                                          «^........
.......^«=                 *& *&* &*                =«^.......
......^«=*          *&*&&««.    .««*&&*&*           *=«^......
.....^«=*& *&  *&  ^^^  ..  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.           ..........
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.......^«=                                          =«^.......
......^«=*                                          *=«^......
.....^«=*&                                          &*=«^.....