One of the basic principles of a working sorcerer is knowing which way was 'downhill' -- downhill magic was easier, while uphill magic produced far more chaos that would need to be shed. So natural to assume this world is trending toward 'downhill', whatever that means for things.

"And what would that mean for people like us?" Penric said. "Is it pushing towards a state where our abilities will work more like they do at home, or where they will stop working at all."

Pen knew which one he preferred; even if his own survival depended on Des being able to bleed off chaos in a controlled fashion, he'd spent half of his life as a sorcerer. He could live without it, but he didn't want to.