..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
.........,                                          ,.........
........,=                                          =,........
.......,=§                                          §=,.......
......,=§$                §$ §$§ $§                 $§=,......
.....,=§$@          §$§$$==.    .==§$$§$§           @$§=,.....
....,=§$@# §$  §$  ,,,  ..  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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