.....=^†&¤                                          ¤&†^=.....
......=^†&                                          &†^=......
.......=^†                                          †^=.......
........=^                                          ^=........
.........=                                          =.........
..........                 †& †&† &†                ..........
.........=           †&†&&==.    .==†&&†&†          =.........
........=^ †&  †&  ...  ..   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.            ##¶¤&†^=..
...=^†&¤¶#                                          #¶¤&†^=...
....=^†&¤¶                                          ¶¤&†^=....
.....=^†&¤                                          ¤&†^=.....
......=^†&                                          &†^=......
.......=^†                                          †^=.......
........=^                                          ^=........