.&&&&.&&&& &&&&..&&..
.&...&&... ....&.&.&.
.&&..&.&.. &...&&&&&&
&&.&.&&&&. .&..&.....
&.&&&&...& .&&.&&....
&&&...&..& ^% ^%^ %^ &&.&&.&...
&..&..&&.& ^%^%%»». .»»^%%^%^ &.&&.&&&..
&&.&&.&.&& ^% ^% ,,, .. 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. .&.&&&.&&&
.&&&&.&&&& &&&&..&&..
.&...&&... ....&.&.&.
.&&..&.&.. &...&&&&&&
&&.&.&&&&. .&..&.....
&.&&&&...& .&&.&&....
&&&...&..& &&.&&.&...