.:«***§@##                                          ##@§***«:.
..:«***§@#                                          #@§***«:..
...:«***§@                                          @§***«:...
....:«***§                                          §***«:....
...:«***§@                                          @§***«:...
..:«***§@#                 ** *** **                #@§***«:..
.:«***§@##           *****««.    .««******          ##@§***«:.
..:«***§@# **  **  :::  ..  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.            #@§***«:..
...:«***§@                                          @§***«:...
....:«***§                                          §***«:....
...:«***§@                                          @§***«:...
..:«***§@#                                          #@§***«:..
.:«***§@##                                          ##@§***«:.
..:«***§@#                                          #@§***«:..