..,~†$§£¶@                                          @¶£§$†~,..
.,~†$§£¶@#                                          #@¶£§$†~,.
,~†$§£¶@##                                          ##@¶£§$†~,
.,~†$§£¶@#                                          #@¶£§$†~,.
..,~†$§£¶@                                          @¶£§$†~,..
...,~†$§£¶                 $§ $§$ §$                ¶£§$†~,...
....,~†$§£           $§$§§~~.    .~~$§§$§$          £§$†~,....
.....,~†$§ $§  $§  ,,,  ..  MAGIC  ..  ,,,   §$  §$ §$†~,.....
......,~†$           $§$§§~~.    .~~§§$§$           $†~,......
.......,~†                $§ $§$ §$                 †~,.......
........,~                                          ~,........
.........,    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.           ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
.........,                                          ,.........
........,~                                          ~,........
.......,~†                                          †~,.......