...,=\*$£@ @£$*\=,...
....,=\*$£ £$*\=,....
.....,=\*$ $*\=,.....
......,=\* *\=,......
.......,=\ \=,.......
........,= *$ *$* $* =,........
........., *$*$$==. .==*$$*$* ,.........
.......... *$ *$ ,,, .. 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. ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........