#&$$«..... .....«$$&#
###&&$:«~. .~«:$&&###
###&&$:«~. .~«:$&&###
&&&$:~.... ....~:$&&&
###&&$:«~. .~«:$&&###
###&&$:«~. $& $&$ &$ .~«:$&&###
###&&$:«~. $&$&&««. .««$&&$&$ .~«:$&&###
#&$:~~~... $& $& ~~~ .. MAGIC .. ~~~ &$ &$ ...~~~:$&#
###&&$:«~. $&$&&««. .««&&$&$ .~«:$&&###
###&&$:«~. $& $&$ &$ .~«:$&&###
###&&$:«~. .~«:$&&###
###&&$:«~. 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. .~«:$&&###
&&&:«««~~. .~~«««:&&&
###&&$:«~. .~«:$&&###
###&&$:«~. $&$ .~«:$&&###
###&&$:«~. .~«:$&&###
##&&:~.... ....~:&&##
&&&&$$:«~. WELL. IT IS WHAT IT IS. A DYING ART.. .~«:$$&&&&
##&$$«~... MAYBE FOR THE BEST. ...~«$$&##
###&&$:«~. .~«:$&&###
&&&$::~... ...~::$&&&
###&&$:«~. .~«:$&&###
&&&&$«««~. .~«««$&&&&
&$$$$««~.. ..~««$$$$&
&$$:«««... ...«««:$$&