The Arcanists
The Arcanists are known to all of humanity as the keepers of the Gates. The society of magic-users have extensively studied the fickle nature of the Gates, and over time pinned down their wayward nature to predictable structures and schedules. The presence of an Arcanist is necessary to open or close a Gate, and therefore they have outposts on every Island, large and small.
This also makes Arcanists ubiquitous in the affairs of humanity, and they hold much influence and persuasion among the leaders and luminaries of the Islands. Their political power and arcane abilities garner them widespread respect and an immunity from normal laws and interference. As a group and as individuals they are rarely seen to be exercising this extraordinary exceptionalism. Most commoners think of them as part of the background.
Others would say that the Arcanists bear the unenviable burden of studying the ancient arcane phenomena and artifacts that hold human civilization together, and of protecting ordinary people from those mind-bending secrets.