¨¨¨¨=*†$£@                                          @£$†*=¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨=*†$£@#                                          #@£$†*=¨¨¨
¨¨=*†$£@##                                          ##@£$†*=¨¨
¨=*†$£@###                                          ###@£$†*=¨
¨¨=*†$£@##                                          ##@£$†*=¨¨
¨¨¨=*†$£@#                †$ †$† $†                 #@£$†*=¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨=*†$£@           †$†$$==¨    ¨==†$$†$†          @£$†*=¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨=*†$£ †$  †$  :::  ¨¨  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.           #@£$†*=¨¨¨
¨¨=*†$£@##                                          ##@£$†*=¨¨
¨=*†$£@###                                          ###@£$†*=¨
¨¨=*†$£@##                                          ##@£$†*=¨¨
¨¨¨=*†$£@#                                          #@£$†*=¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨=*†$£@                                          @£$†*=¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨=*†$£                                          £$†*=¨¨¨¨¨