Stilben

Stilben is a swamp port city in the kingdom of Tal'Dorei. Vox Machina originally met and formed their group in Stilben.

About Stilben
Stilben is a shady city built around the Bay of K'Tawl on the shore of the Lucidian Ocean. Surrounded by a sprawling marshland, the air is usually sticky, humid, and uncomfortably warm. The ever-present sound of insects buzzing and distant bird calls mingle with the constant din of creaking wood, grumbling voices, and beasts-of-burden carrying cargo from the docks to the tradelines. Money flowed here primarily through a strong textile trade, a dynamic black market (influenced heavily by what ships arrive to port), and a loosely-kept set of laws that could be briefly "purchased" should they stand in someone's (or someone's business's) way. The social atmosphere is relaxed, the nightlife fairly lively, and there is enough work to go around... especially mercenary work.



Politics
Like the other major satellite cities within the Realm of Tal'Dorei, Stilben is ruled by an appointed Margrave, in this case the rather ineffective Wendel Truss. The Margrave of Stilben also commands the Waterwatch, the local constabulary. The reality of the current situation in Stilben, though, is that in spite of the Margrave's pretensions, the city is really run by the guilds and The Clasp… With the foreign interlopers of The Myriad making ever-deeper inroads as well.

Demographics
Stilben is a small city with a population of about 9,015. The population is mostly human (70%), but there are significant proportions of elves (10%), halflings (10%), and half-elves (5%), with a small percentage of other races scattered about (5%).

The Sunset Stride Tavern
The largest tavern within Stilben, the Sunset Stride is where many of the blue-collar grunts of the local trades come to unwind. Music and laughter permeated the warmly-lit interior, and a large job-board loomed over the far wall. The tavern's barkeep is Father Moordek Vart.

The Vas Estate
The Vas Estate is a large—but not terribly lavish—mansion built over two hundred years ago by the Vas Lordship, one of the more powerful trade families that have held power in Stilben. The estate is once home to the heir to the Vas family fortune, Fendril Vas, but it is not known what became of the estate, nor the fortune, after Fendril is slain by Vox Machina.

Factions

 * Vistani: A roving people scattered throughout Tal'Dorei.
 * The Myriad: A merchant organization competing with Vas Textiles.
 * Cult of Crysa-Thul: A cult that worships a stillborn god named Crysa-Thul.

Trivia

 * The city's name was originally spelled "Stilben" in Matthew Mercer's Vox Machina Wiki, which was published in February 2015, before the launch of Critical Role. A few months after Critical Role launched, Mercer released the map of Tal'Dorei using the "Stillben" spelling (which was subsequently adopted by the Critical Role Wiki). However, the city's name was officially restored to "Stilben" with the release of Critical Role: Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting.
 * In Mercer's Vox Machina Wiki, Stilben was listed as a shady town with a population of 820. However, in the Critical Role: Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, it is listed as a small city with a population of about 9,015.