In a tavern in the Eastern Mountains
The scene opens with Thornbeard, dwarven ranger, sitting across a limestone table from Bathru, the dwarven queen’s representative. With Bathru are two bodyguards – a hammerdwarf and a macegoblin. There is a map on the table. The year is 1049.
THORNBEARD: (looking at map) You want a new fortress there, huh? It’s going to be a long walk for me to get there and scout it. What’s this little drawing of a village with fire all around it? Just up the hill.
BATHRU: That was Coppertours. The dragon burned it. But that was centuries ago! The dragon is off in the human lands now.
THORNBEARD: Okay, even IF the dragon is done there, we’re talking about the Western Mountains. That’s Oceanic Attic land.
BATHRU: The Queen has come to an agreement with our dwarven cousins. They will cede that area to The Queen if we put a stronghold there. And we need that river bridged. We can’t keep sending caravans the long way around, toward the goblin nations. (Aside to macegoblin) No offense.
MACEGOBLIN: None taken. Those guys are freaks.
THORNBEARD: Wait, back up. They’re GIVING the land to us?
BATHRU: The nearby villages would appreciate having a stronghold nearby. Their king doesn’t have the resources to build one that far from their Mountainhome.
THORNBEARD: (Looking up at BATHRU) and WHY is their goblin of a king so desperate for help that he is giving away land?
BATHRU: Don’t be racist.
THORNBEARD: (Aside to MACEGOBLIN) No offense.
MACEGOBLIN: (Shrugs)
BATHRU: King Urist may be green on the outside, but he is as bearded as you on the inside.
MACEGOBLIN: (closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose.)
THORNBEARD: And he is giving the land away because?
BATHRU: Kobold raids.
THORNBEARD: Kobold raids?
BATHRU: And babysnatcher attacks. And monster raids. Night trolls.
MACEGOBLIN: Nasty ones. Wings. Transparent skin.
THORNBEARD: Okay, so The Queen is asking me to cross to the Western Mountains, go to this place with all the burned villages and monster raids, and survey this uncrossable river. I’ll want bodyguards.
BATHRU: You can take my own.
HAMMERDWARF suddenly starts paying attention. MACEGOBLIN looks patient, obviously not surprised.
THORNBEARD: Long live the Queen! (Finishes his tomato wine) One more question: what fools did you find to start the settlement?
BATHRU: That’s the other thing we need to talk about…
Thornbeard’s party made the journey to the Western Mountains. It took them above ground long enough that the dwarves forgot their queasiness at being on the surface.
They explored the river, and Thornbeard nearly lost his companions crossing it. The sides were steep, the water deep, and some of the fish looked big enough to to eat a dwarf.
They found a good spot to bridge the river. The place had game among the many trees. There was also a tributary stream with shallow enough banks that water could be gathered, if one was willing to risk those big fish.