Perhaps at its inception the Sanctuary may have been undivided, but it is now fractured. The unity of mages is long gone - say farewell to the Sanctuary, and greet the Two Cities.
- From Two Sanctuaries by Jefferson
“Money certainly makes it a lot easier to keep my tavern afloat! No, not literally you silly. The drunk falls over easily enough even on solid ground!” - Edith
Residents who primarily reside in the Outer Sanctuary. They are called Grounders as they prefer their houses firmly on the ground. Despite being mages, Grounders usually prefer a low-magic lifestyle similar to regular, non-magic cities. There have been many ideological, logistic, as well as just plain petty disputes with the Floaters in the Inner Sanctuary. Grounders are proud of their lifestyle, and will usually only use magic to improve or enhance factors of their life, not change it drastically. They also maintain an active economy, government, and regulations in the Outer Sanctuary, something which cannot be said of the Floaters.
“A floating house is the greatest sign of freedom from this material world” - Chalucifer
People who live in the Inner Sanctuary and reside amongst the many floating houses there. Lacking an economy, the Floaters survive by using magic to either barter with other Floaters or simply Shaping what they need. Floaters typically embody a laissez-faire attitude to most things in life, including the sacrifices that come with magic. Whilst the Outer Sanctuary resembles a normal city, the Inner Sanctuary is incomparable to the outside world. This is due to each Floater's magic compounding onto each other and creating a magical mess in the middle of the Sanctuary.
“It ain't much, but it's honest work protecting the Sanctuary” - Fen
These people have taken upon themselves the duty of protecting every citizen of the Sanctuary from outside threats ever since the inception of the Sanctuary. Trained, experienced and always at the ready, they are certainly a force to be reckoned with. However, in recent times, with the rise of an organised military and insistence of some members on following older, harsher training doctrines, their numbers have been dwindling. Still, every single member of the Hunters is dedicated to their task and won't let a single monster into the Sanctuary while a Hunter still lives.
“We do what we can to maintain order in this very chaotic world” - Jackson
Once upon a time the Sanctuary had a unified government. Then the Inner City mages stopped governance, so the Outer City counterpart has had to fully take over. Over time, considering the constant threats, internal and external, that the Sanctuary faces, this Outer City government has turned into a military ruling force. They keep the peace, defend the barrier and manage the entire logistical nightmare that is the Sanctuary. Unfortunately, they are almost always short on hands to deal with these various problems, and so have had to employ some less honourable individuals to help.
“If you think you can do a better job at a lower price, be my guest” - Frank
The mafia was initially part of the Outer City government, but had split from it due to some disagreements, preferring organised crime over disorganised law. They provide “protection” to civilians in exchange for hefty prices. Considering that the military doesn't have enough people to provide protection themselves and many see that the alternative to them is complete chaos, most are willing to pay the price. Some people call them exploitative bastards, some call them a necessary evil. The military favours the latter idea, considering their less-than-secret cooperation with the mafia.
“Either magic will fall or people will continue suffering. I know where I stand.” - spoken by a Custodian at an anti-magic rally
The Custodians of Reality are an anti-magic group which has been gaining popularity in the Sanctuary. They believe that using magic is unethical given the sacrifices involved and the negative impact it can have on others. The nature of the Custodians of Reality aren't too clear: their numbers, motive, and even whether they have a leader or not are unknown to the wider population of the Sanctuary. Despite this, whispers about the Custodians have certainly been growing louder and louder recently.
A pamphlet circulated by the Custodians recently reads as follows:
The Archmage has lead us into needless sacrifice for too long, it is time to confront him! We cannot allow other's to fall into the endless cycle of sacrifices, We must burn magic away from the source! Floating houses are a sign of arrogance, ego and serve as mementos of needless loss. We must move on, even if it is by force! Join us, on the longest day of the year, where we shall confront the longest curse of Humanity.