#...#..... ....#.....
..#...#### ###...###.
#...#..### ##..#..#..
..#.....## #.........
#...###... ..########
..#..#..## *% *%* %* ...#######
.........# *%*%%~~. .~~*%%*%* ##..#####.
########.. *% *% ,,, .. 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. ##########
#..####..# ##########
....##.... .#########
.##....##. ..#######.
....##.... ...#####..
###....##. ##..###..#
##..##.... .....#....