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.