&.&&&...&. &&.&&&..&&
&.&.&&.... &&.&.&&.&.
....&&&... &&...&&...
....&.&&.. &&&..&&&..
......&&&. &.&&.&.&&.
......&.&& %* %*% *% ..&&...&&&
&.......&& %*%**~~. .~~%**%*% ..&&&..&.&
&&......&. %* %* ... .. 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. .&&&......
..&&&..... .&.&&.....
..&.&&.... ...&&&....
....&&&... &..&.&&...
....&.&&.. &&...&&&..
......&&&. &&&..&.&&.
......&.&& &.&&...&&&