[AlexanderHowl]

It is a horror thing, influenced by the Mythos. Corruption and insanity beyond a certain point is permanent, so characters need to keep up with their penance to remove their corruption and must rest to remove their insanity. Good magicians will prefer insanity while evil magicians will prefer corruption. When push comes to shove though, skilled magicians of either type will be much less likely to suffer consequences than unskilled magicians.