........~\ \~........
.........~ ~.........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... *§ *§* §* ..........
.......... *§*§§~~. .~~*§§*§* ..........
.......... *§ *§ ... .. 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. *\~.......
......~\*§ §*\~......
.....~\*§# #§*\~.....
....~\*§## ##§*\~....
...~\*§##@ @##§*\~...
..~\*§##@# #@##§*\~..
...~\*§##@ @##§*\~...