¤¤*///~~.. ..~~///*¤¤
¤*/~~~.... ....~~~/*¤
¤$**//~~.. ..~~//**$¤
¶¶¤$/~~... ...~~/$¤¶¶
@¶¤$$*/~~. .~~/*$$¤¶@
@¤*/~~~... *$ *$* $* ...~~~/*¤@
@@¶¤$*/~~. *$*$$~~. .~~*$$*$* .~~/*$¤¶@@
@¤*~~~~~.. *$ *$ ~~~ .. 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 ....~/**¤¶
¶$/~...... about the heat death of the universe. ......~/$¶
@¤$*/~.... ....~/*$¤@
¤¤*~~..... .....~~*¤¤
¶$*~~..... *$* .....~~*$¶
¤$$/~..... .....~/$$¤
¤¤$$$*/~~. .~~/*$$$¤¤
#@¶¤$*/~~. well. it is what it is. a dying art.. .~~/*$¤¶@#
##@¶¤$*/~~ maybe for the best. ~~/*$¤¶@##
@@¶¤$*/~~. .~~/*$¤¶@@
@@¶¤$*/~~. .~~/*$¤¶@@
#@¶¤$*/~~. .~~/*$¤¶@#
@¤**/~~... ...~~/**¤@
¤*~~~~.... ....~~~~*¤
¶¶¤***/~~. .~~/***¤¶¶