,,,:«===$@ @$===«:,,,
,:«==$¤@## ##@¤$==«:,
,:«==$¤@## ##@¤$==«:,
,:«==¤@### ###@¤==«:,
,:«==$$$¤¤ ¤¤$$$==«:,
,:«==$¤@## =$ =$= $= ##@¤$==«:,
,:«==$¤¤¤@ =$=$$««, ,««=$$=$= @¤¤¤$==«:,
,:«==$¤@## =$ =$ ::: ,, 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 ¤======«:,
,,,:«=$$¤¤ about the heat death of the universe. ¤¤$$=«:,,,
,:«==$¤¤¤# #¤¤¤$==«:,
,:«==$¤@## ##@¤$==«:,
,:«====¤¤¤ =$= ¤¤¤====«:,
,:«==$¤@## ##@¤$==«:,
,:«==$¤@## ##@¤$==«:,
,,,,,«=¤¤# well. it is what it is. a dying art.. #¤¤=«,,,,,
,:««««===¤ maybe for the best. ¤===««««:,
,:«==$¤@## ##@¤$==«:,
,,,««=$¤@@ @@¤$=««,,,
,,,,,:=$@@ @@$=:,,,,,
,,,,«=$¤¤# #¤¤$=«,,,,
,:«==$¤@## ##@¤$==«:,
,:«==$$$@@ @@$$$==«:,