........~«                                          «~........
.......~«^                                          ^«~.......
......~«^*                                          *^«~......
.....~«^*§                                          §*^«~.....
....~«^*§#                                          #§*^«~....
...~«^*§##                *§ *§* §*                 ##§*^«~...
..~«^*§###           *§*§§««.    .««*§§*§*          ###§*^«~..
.~«^*§#### *§  *§  ~~~  ..   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.           ^«~.......
......~«^*                                          *^«~......
.....~«^*§                                          §*^«~.....
....~«^*§#                                          #§*^«~....
...~«^*§##                                          ##§*^«~...
..~«^*§###                                          ###§*^«~..
.~«^*§####                                          ####§*^«~.