@@*~~..... .....~~*@@
@@@@§*:~:. .:~:*§@@@@
@@@@§*:~:. .:~:*§@@@@
#@@@§*:~:. .:~:*§@@@#
@§:~...... ......~:§@
@@@@§*:~:. *§ *§* §* .:~:*§@@@@
@§::...... *§*§§~~. .~~*§§*§* ......::§@
@@§§§*:~:. *§ *§ ::: .. 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. .:~:*§@@##
@@@§§*:~:. .:~:*§§@@@
#@@@§*:~:. .:~:*§@@@#
##@@§*:~:. .:~:*§@@##
##@@§*:~:. .:~:*§@@##
#@@@§*:~:. .:~:*§@@@#
@@@@§*:~:. .:~:*§@@@@