......^~†%                                          %†~^......
.....^~†%$                                          $%†~^.....
....^~†%$§                                          §$%†~^....
...^~†%$§#                                          #§$%†~^...
..^~†%$§##                                          ##§$%†~^..
.^~†%$§###                 %$ %$% $%                ###§$%†~^.
..^~†%$§##          %$%$$~~.    .~~%$$%$%           ##§$%†~^..
...^~†%$§# %$   %$  ^^^  ..  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.            $%†~^.....
......^~†%                                          %†~^......
.......^~†                                          †~^.......
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