~,........                                          ........,~
,.........                                          .........,
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
,.........                 %$ %$% $%                .........,
~,........          %$%$$~~.    .~~%$$%$%           ........,~
/~,....... %$  %$  ,,,  ..  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.            .........,
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
,.........                                          .........,
~,........                                          ........,~
/~,.......                                          .......,~/