Magic no longer draws retribution from the Universe, but it still exacts its toll from the user's mind. The peculiar form of madness known as "Quiet" afflicts all Mages at some point in their lives, sometimes more than once.
A result of channeling too much magic at a time, or in close succession, this mental aberration often manifests as bewilderment in its less powerful forms, progressing through dementia, paranoia, and even catatonia as severity increases. Other Mages can bring back the mind of a colleague who has fallen into Quiet, but sometimes such retrieval can draw the would-be rescuers into Quiets of their own. In general, the accepted procedure for handling Mages in Quiet is to restrain him when he's dangerous, or keep a watch on him if he doesn't seem to be dangerous. Of course, not everyone has seen or experienced Quiet, and those who haven't may not know the dangers of trying to help their comrade...