####...#.. ##........
.##..#...# #..######.
.......#.. ....####..
######.... ###..##..#
#####..### ##........
.###....## =$ =$= $= ...######.
..#..##..# =$=$$==. .===$$=$= ##..####..
#......... =$ =$ ... .. 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. ##########
########## ##########
########## ##########
########## ##########
########## ##########
########## ##########
########## ##########