&$^»~..... .....~»^$&
$^»~...... ......~»^$
&$^»~..... .....~»^$&
§&$^»~.... ....~»^$&§
#§&$^»~... ...~»^$&§#
##§&$^»~.. $& $&$ &$ ..~»^$&§##
###§&$^»~. $&$&&»». .»»$&&$&$ .~»^$&§###
##§&$^»~.. $& $& ~~~ .. magic .. ~~~ &$ &$ ..~»^$&§##
#§&$^»~... $&$&&»». .»»&&$&$ ...~»^$&§#
§&$^»~.... $& $&$ &$ ....~»^$&§
&$^»~..... .....~»^$&
$^»~...... magic is about being unaccountable, ......~»^$
&$^»~..... about removing the source of the action .....~»^$&
§&$^»~.... from yourself. it works by exploiting a ....~»^$&§
#§&$^»~... kind of gravity, called the ...~»^$&§#
##§&$^»~.. arrow of time. ..~»^$&§##
###§&$^»~. .~»^$&§###
##§&$^»~.. things in this universe always seek the ..~»^$&§##
#§&$^»~... least energetic state. all potential is ...~»^$&§#
§&$^»~.... gradually lost into lesser forms (such ....~»^$&§
&$^»~..... as heat). .....~»^$&
$^»~...... ......~»^$
&$^»~..... magic then, is creating tunnels, .....~»^$&
§&$^»~.... specific and intricate canals, for this ....~»^$&§
#§&$^»~... to happen in a controlled manner. think ...~»^$&§#
##§&$^»~.. of it as setting an elaborate trap for ..~»^$&§##
###§&$^»~. entropy. .~»^$&§###
##§&$^»~.. ..~»^$&§##
#§&$^»~... and then, when the circuit closes, the ...~»^$&§#
§&$^»~.... arrow is forced to do your bidding! ....~»^$&§
&$^»~..... .....~»^$&
$^»~...... of course, you're also irreversably ......~»^$
&$^»~..... draining time from the universe, but .....~»^$&
§&$^»~.... yeah. ....~»^$&§
#§&$^»~... ...~»^$&§#
##§&$^»~.. ..~»^$&§##
###§&$^»~. $&& $ $ &&$ .~»^$&§###
##§&$^»~.. ..~»^$&§##
#§&$^»~... ...~»^$&§#
§&$^»~.... 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.. .....~»^$&
$^»~...... maybe for the best. ......~»^$
&$^»~..... .....~»^$&
§&$^»~.... ....~»^$&§
#§&$^»~... ...~»^$&§#
##§&$^»~.. ..~»^$&§##
###§&$^»~. .~»^$&§###
##§&$^»~.. ..~»^$&§##