..:~;$§### ###§$;~:..
...:~;$§## ##§$;~:...
....:~;$§# #§$;~:....
.....:~;$§ §$;~:.....
....:~;$§# #§$;~:....
...:~;$§## $§ $§$ §$ ##§$;~:...
..:~;$§### $§$§§~~. .~~$§§$§$ ###§$;~:..
.:~;$§#### $§ $§ ::: .. MAGIC .. ::: §$ §$ ####§$;~:.
..:~;$§### $§$§§~~. .~~§§$§$ ###§$;~:..
...:~;$§## $§ $§$ §$ ##§$;~:...
....:~;$§# #§$;~:....
.....:~;$§ 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. ##§$;~:...
..:~;$§### ###§$;~:..
.:~;$§#### ####§$;~:.
..:~;$§### ###§$;~:..
...:~;$§## ##§$;~:...
....:~;$§# #§$;~:....
.....:~;$§ §$;~:.....