.^«==$&###                                          ###&$==«^.
.....«=$$&                                          &$$=«.....
.^«==$&###                                          ###&$==«^.
...^==$&##                                          ##&$==^...
.^«==$&###                                          ###&$==«^.
..^^««==&#                =$ =$= $=                 #&==««^^..
.^«==$&###          =$=$$««.    .««=$$=$=           ###&$==«^.
.^«==$&### =$  =$  ^^^  ..  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.. #&===««^^.
.^«==$&###           maybe for the best.            ###&$==«^.
...««==$##                                          ##$==««...
.^«==$$$&#                                          #&$$$==«^.
.....^^==&                                          &==^^.....
.....«=$&&                                          &&$=«.....
.^«==$&###                                          ###&$==«^.
.^«==$&###                                          ###&$==«^.