....~»***§ §***»~....
.....~»*** ***»~.....
......~»** **»~......
.......~»* *»~.......
........~» »~........
.........~ ** *** ** ~.........
.......... *****»». .»»****** ..........
.........~ ** ** ~~~ .. 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. ~.........
........~» »~........
.......~»* *»~.......
......~»** **»~......
.....~»*** ***»~.....
....~»***§ §***»~....
...~»***§@ @§***»~...