I was chosen to be the new governor. Only seven of us were to depart to a site of our choosing, and found a mighty colony.
One that would withstand the sieges of our many enemies. One that would withstand the powerful forces of nature dwelling on the surface of the world and beneath. One that would withstand the churning of time itself.
It would be a journey full of hardships to a location far away and unsettled. They might not even see other civilized dwarfs ever again. The circumstances could be great, yet terrible too. Possibly the uncivilized natives would attack, or the freakish weather would freeze and burn. And always remained the threat of monsters, large and small.
Yet I looked forward to it. Forward to freedom from the burdens of overpopulation. Of famine, disease and war. Of imminent death. The new fortress would be safe and sound, protecting us from what lurked outside the walls. We would finally have a worthy home. A safe place to live. A new beginning.
I scoured over the five files the high nobility had laid out in front of me. The king, together with his dukes and barons, had chosen 5 possible sites for us to settle, all having their own strengths and weaknesses.
The first embark they offered us was odd, to say the least. An entirely unsettled island, yet larger than one would expect. No natives, at least that we were aware of. And whilst this meant a lot to our safety, it would also mean there would not be anyone to trade with, and migrants would be a rare sight.
+++ Safety
+++ Surface-- Underground resources--- Neighbours The second suggestion seemed its polar opposite, a settlement in the southeastern continent. Incredibly crowded with a variety of races, especially elves and humans. Rumors even spoke of surface-dwarfs and walking corpses. Not the safest choice, but at least it could connect our empire to the rest of the world, and vice versa.
-- Safety++ Surface
++ Underground resources+++ Neighbours The third was something entirely different. A frozen waste up north, far from much but not entirely remote. Even though entirely frozen, the few that had visited it described it as "mirthful", a good sign.
- Safety--- Surface- Underground resources++ Neighbours The fourth again seemed a polar opposite of its predecessor, the lifelessness of their surface the only thing they had in common. This hot desert not far from the main settlements of the Sprawling South had been an eyesore for centuries, as settling it was nigh-impossible. The arid environment killed most of what lived there, and thus it remained empty as ever.
- Safety-- Surface++ Underground resources
++ Neighbours The last embark seemed to be the most mundane. A somewhat remotely situated cape, yet not too far from civilization to be completely deserted. Other than that, it does not seem to be anything special.
- Safety++ Surface-- Underground resources++ Neighbours Not knowing which one to pick, I looked at the dwarfs behind me, showing them the details of all 5 sites. After a lengthy discussion, we all started contemplating, and finally brought out our vote.
Which do you vote for?