.:~**$&###                                          ###&$**~:.
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.:~**$&###                                          ###&$**~:.
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.:~**$&###                                          ###&$**~:.
..:~**$&##                 *$ *$* $*                ##&$**~:..
.:~**$&###          *$*$$~~.    .~~*$$*$*           ###&$**~:.
..:~**$&## *$  *$   :::  ..  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. ###&$**~:.
..:~**$&##                                          ##&$**~:..
.:~**$&###                                          ###&$**~:.
..:~**$&##                    *$*                   ##&$**~:..
.:~**$&###                                          ###&$**~:.
..:~**$&##                                          ##&$**~:..
.:~**$&### WELL. IT  IS WHAT  IT IS. A  DYING ART.. ###&$**~:.
..:~**$&##           MAYBE FOR THE BEST.            ##&$**~:..
.:~**$&###                                          ###&$**~:.
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.:~**$&###                                          ###&$**~:.
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.:~**$&###                                          ###&$**~:.
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