Stadeben

There's a lot to like here. Excellent architectural style, a diverse array of food options from the many folk, a unique blend of companionship and isolation from the world at large.
Would be nice if walking five metres didn't cause the collapse of an entire tower block.

— Gilem Fith, Orc tourist

Stadeben is one of four extant Laslin Cities, located far to the east of the other three. It rises squatly out of the Finuhit Ocean only 5 kilometres from the immense waterfalls of the World's Edge.

Infrastructure

Unlike the other cities, Stadeben is not supported by pillars of mysterious origin and design - rather, its pillars are all cement with reinforcement, some metallic and some magical. These prop up large limestone and concrete slabs upon which the city's many warren-like streets and buildings are constructed.
Due to the squat nature of the city's primary inhabitants, the various buildings of Stadeben are far shorter than their counterparts abroad, and stacked high to form immense towers. Each tower, block, and mound connects to others via maze-like streets and a number of bridges. The dwellings higher in the city are constructed from wood rather than stone, to ease the weight on the foundations, and to lessen construction costs.

History

When Stadeben was constructed is not known, but it has stood in the Finuhit Ocean for at least a millenia, predating the earliest extant records. From what records remain from this time, the city had already established itself as a sturdy ballwark before the world's end, and its oligarchical government was fully entrenched.
Due to its considerable distance from both the other cities and the edge, Stadeben has long been seen as a safe haven for those fleeing oblivion. Its remarkably diverse population has seen multiple waves of migration, most from before documentation, and others from the collapse of other Laslin cities like Cideci and Taufa.

Governance

Stadeben is an oligarchy, and often a functionally hereditary one. The city is controlled by its trade and craft guilds, the leadership of which is usually passed parent to child, and only rarely to those outside of the immediate families. These guilds have been around for centuries each, each governing different aspects of the city's law and economy.
When two guilds need to work together, a city-wide council is convened with representatives from all the guilds in order to mediate the arrangement in order to prevent the stalling out of deals. A similar meeting is held whenever a meeting of the inter-city Laslin Union is due, in order to debate which guilds should represent the city. This leads to change-overs in representatives at a swifter rate than other cities.

Type

City

Population

314'500

Inhabitant Demonym

Stadebener

Finuhit Ocean by Joseph Barrientos

New World

For nearly all of written history, Stadeben has been severely isolated from its fellow cities by its considerable distance. This has some advantages, such as making it easier to avoid political disputes, but has also left the city out of much trade activity.
While some aim to solve this problem by innovations in transport such as the Fire-Powered Balloon, others in the city have a different idea. Plans are well underway for the construction of a new Laslin city further to the east, taking advantage of many technological advancements since Stadeben was built. It is hoped that this new city, tentatively known as Sivique, will give Stadeben a trading partner and greater access to lands further east across the ocean.

Y'heard about Sivique? Ships guild says it'll increase trade, really boost the economy. How d'you reckon they'll do that? They're gonna sink half the economy into building the bastard. Is it trade if it's the same business in a different spot?

— Skeptical local