Sanctum
By a mage's will, amazing things can happen, but every spellcaster is subject to Backlash — except in her sanctum. Sancta are special places where the mage's Aura and the mystical energies of the area mesh, making the mage even, more powerful.
Sancta can be naturally occurring places or can be meticulously enchanted over a number of years (the rule of thumb is one year per dot of Sanctum) to conform to the mage's Aura. Some sancta are large enough to contain crays; most are not. Messianic sancta may even be considered Holy Ground (see p. 289 of Dark Ages: Vampire) at the Storyteller's discretion (this should probably require the expenditure of additional points on the Background).
The rating of the sanctum determines not only the physical size but also what magical benefits the character receives while therein. These benefits are cumulative; that is, a three-dot Sanctum confers the benefits of levels one and two of the Background. However, no matter what the rating, while in the sanctum the mage is immune to Backlash.
● -- A tiny sanctum the size of a pantry or a small clearing; no special benefits.
●● -- A small room or copse of trees; -1 difficulty on all magic rolls while in your sanctum.
●●● -- A workshop and perhaps an adjoining bedroom or closet; - 2 on all magic rolls while in your sanctum.
●●●● -- A small house or cottage or a suite of rooms in a larger building; regain one point of Quintessence by sleeping for eight hours in your sanctum.
●●●●● -- An entire mansion or a large wing of a castle, or perhaps a forest. You immediately know of any incursion onto your lands; add one die to Foundation while in the sanctum.
