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#.##...... †$ †$ ,,, .. MAGIC .. ,,, $† $† .#.##.....
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....#.##.. 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. .....#...#
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.#...#...# 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. ......#..#
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..#..#.... WELL. IT IS WHAT IT IS. A DYING ART.. ..###.....
...#..#... MAYBE FOR THE BEST. ..#.##....
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