The Academic City's current segregation of class was largely inevitable.
The scholars of numerous institutions in this place held knowledge and technology in their hands, which incentivized the upper class to send their children here to be educated, as their benefits and gains were guaranteed by the House of Mages.
At the same time, as a free religion zone, all of the seven Churches focused their missionary work here, essentially a small warzone between the churches. While the Churches constantly clashed with one another, they also maintained a level of discretion, which afforded non-believers, heathens, and even evil cultists some breathing room.
Simply put, as long as those with status maintained a level of awe, kept themselves out of the religious warzone, and generally stayed out of trouble, this was heaven for scholars, with unlimited knowledge and unimaginable treasures waiting to be discovered.
