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From volume I of the Journal of Vabok "GreatWyrm" Ringedmirror, Miner and Mason of The Syrups of Virute, Founders of Helmtrades, Penal Colony of The Tool of Fountains.

Geez, that's a long title. Glad I'll only have to write it once. Well, I'll try and explain how I got here first. I was an average Stonecutter, wih a penchant for literature. Nothing wrong with that, right? In fact, I know General Erith fairly well. I suppose he told the king that I was trustworthy or something, because I got sent here with six other dwarves to make a new prison to deal with the massive number of poverty-stricken criminals infesting the capital. We're near one of the lesser Mountainhomes (the most distant, but it's the thought that counts), so we should be okay for a while. I imagine they'll send the prisoners there first, give that place a cut of the prisoners, and ship the rest here.

Now to describe the six people I've got with me.
My fellow miner, Mafol Oiledcloaks, a normal fellow who likes animal traps. He's quietly confident and a bit antisocial, and also proficient at carpentry.
Rigoth Griderrinses, a potter and engraver. She's a confident, social, honest, and impulsive pessimist.
Urdim Futureattics, a stone- and bone-carver. She's nervous and doesn't seem to like talking much. She often clicks her tounge, reminiscent of the clicking of the beak wolves she adores.
Dishmab Dikesearched,  a skinny farmer and fisherman. He's cheerful and very confident but doesn't like crowds. He doesn't ask for much, and likes familiar routines.
Bomrek Portalcastle, Our woodcutter and mechanic, a distrustful, short-tempered, perfectionist, shallow- and narrow-minded, bat-hating woman. Lucky us, she's also the one who King Rith the Easily-Seduced chose to lead this expedition.
Etur Portaldabbled, a planter and herbalist. He's a nice guy, although he doesn't handle stress well. I'll now explain why that's a bad thing.

See, the biggest problem with a prison is getting the prisoners to stick around. That's not likely an issue here. We settled in a forest known to be haunted. The chances of a dwarf running off into the wilderness are slim to none. Unforunately, this means we'll have to survive in a haunted area. This could be...interesting.

Thankfully, the Mountainhomes are not sending the prisoners until after an autumn supply caravan, and they'll send a couple groups of volunteers first to help. Of course, we need to survive long enough. And, more importantly, we need to decide how this prison is going to work. We've all got different ideas. What Fun this will be.

Welcome to Zonnish, future home of the worst criminals known to dwarvenkind! Things will be interesting in the future, but for now we've got minor stuff to do.
For starters, six out of the starting seven remain to be claimed. You should provide the following info:
1. Which dwarf you want (duh)
2. The nickname you want for the dwarf
3. Any further personality traits you want to roleplay
4. The reason that King Rith and General Erith trusted your dwarf enough to found a maximum-security prison. (Vabok's hinted-at suspicion as to why Bomrek got chosen as expedition leader may or may not be true.)
As is usually the case, first come first served.

Anyone can vote in on fortress decisions, although you'll get more weight if you have a dwarf.

Finally, about votes: They're informal. Usually, they will affect major things in how the fort is run. I intend to follow the will of the majority as much as is possible and sane, but it's at my discretion if the community is asking for out-of-character or stupid things.

Vabok "Greatwyrm" Ringedmirror, Miner/Mason/Writer, narrator. Claimed by GreatWyrmGold. Husked.
Mafol Oiledcloaks, Miner/Carpenter, antisocial, likes animal traps. Husked.
Rigoth "Alra" Grinderrinses, Potter/Engraver, semi-contradictor, likes giant spider monkies. Claimed by Sappho. Husked.
Urdim Futureattics, Craftsdwarf, likes beak wolves. The only technical death, not counting a dog; killed by a couple raven husks after several weeks.
Dishmab "Splint" Dikesearched, Farmer/Fisher, easy-going. Claimed by Splint. Armored in shell, then husked.
(Bomrek) "Simon" Portalcastle, Noble/Woodcutter/Mechanic, not very nice. Claimed by simonthedwarf. Husked.
Etur Portaldabbled, Farmer, very nice, doesn't like stress. Husked.

Wardens are any and all non-prisoners who are not children.
I'm only listing notable wardens from now on.

"GreatWyrmBrass" Assaultrooms, expedition leader, broker, mason, potter. Claimed by GreatWyrmGold.
"BerserkNINJA" Tomesromances, miner, carpenter, militia commander, macedwarf. Claimed by BerserkNINJA.
The Mute One, unknown profession(s).
"Broken" Minemarkets, medic, jewler, woodcutter. Claimed by Broken
"Sappho" Craftsyawns, engraver, manager/bookkeeper/etc. Claimed by Sappho.
"Splint" Glovedmachine, farmer, fisher, speardwarf. Claimed by Splint.
"Dagger" Gazechannels, brewer, etc. Political prisoner. Claimed by...let me check...
Mrs. Gulleytowers the New Secrets of Drying, potter, brewer, shearer, beekeeper, speardwarf. Killed several beak wolves. Unclaimed.

One suspected vampire.

Available:
One infant, Zonnish-born.
Four? adult-age children.

No claimed children.

1 legendary miner (warden)
1 mason (warden)
1 beekeeper (warden)

1 snatched infant

Granite 1, 126: Helmtrades founded.
Granite 4, 126: Food stockpile completed.
Granite 12-17, 126: Non-food supplies moved in.
Granite 18, 126: First cloud of cursed ash rolled in. Panic.
Granite 20, 126: Cursed ash drifted away.
Granite 28, 126: Second cloud of cursed ash engulfs a single raven. This swiftly leads to the demise of the fortress
Mid-Slate (exact date lost), 126: Zonnish crumbles.
Slate 19, 126: Led Bridgefists begins his journey to find the first Zonnish, and turns into a husk.
Slate 20, 126: Led comes to a human hamlet and retires. Should be...fun.
Granite 1, 127: Zonnish Kukon is founded.
Slate 2, 127: Cave-in plug caved in.
Slate 20, 127: Farms started being plowed and planted.
Hematite 10, 127: Aquifer piercing complete.
Hematite 22, 127: Migrants arrived. Population: 17.
Hematite 25, 127: The mute one speaks. Trapmaking starts.
Hematite 27, 127: A masterwork bed made.
Early Galena, 127: Giant slug caught.
Late Galena?, 127: Splint has an accident.
Sandstone 9, 127: Giant slug goes wild.
Mid-Sandstone, 127: Bridge made.
Late Sandstone, 127: Migrants arrived. Population: 25.
Early Timber, 127: Tithlethud created.
Timber 19, 127: Merchants arrive.
Late Timber, 127: Kobold dispatched with a training sword.
Moonstone 27, 127: Creedbell dies by minecart. Population: 24.
Opal 3, 127: BerserkNINJA has an unfortunate accident, rendering her bedridden.
Opal 20, 127: Caverns located.
Obsidian 15, 127: Beak wolf siege arrived.
Mid-Obsidian, 127: Taremireg Bobrur Tadar created.
Late Obsisian, 127: Beak wolves, including their leader, get away.
Granite 20, 128: Paintfountains born to Manorgloves and Tradeplans. Population: 25.
Granite 27-Slate 1, 128: Snatchers spotted. Paintfountains snatched. Sunkengurder born to Rampartpaddle and Glovedtrumpet. Population: 25.
Late Granite, 128: A mason whose surname I forget drowns. Population: 24.
Slate 10, 128: Townbud dies in a mining accident. Population: 23.
Slate 14, 128: A beekeeper is found dead, perhaps due to a complication from head injuries. Population: 22.
Slate 21, 128: More migrants. All future fishery workers to be considered prisoners. Popuation: 54, including a suspected vampire. GreatWyrmBrass elected mayor.
Felsite 6, 128: A patient awakes, crippled. He's assigned to The Copper Fates.
Felsite 12, 128: Elves. A few animals bought.
Felsite 18, 128: A snatcher escaped.
Felsite 21, 128: Two snatchers in cages, soon moved to the dining room. Some crow men caught.
Hematite 5, 128: Another snatcher caught. We now have three, two female and one male.
Hematite 8, 128: A giant snail is chased into a cage trap.
Hematite 27, 128: Broken killed by a kobold thief, named Charmshameful. Population: 53. Charmshameful escaped.
Malachite 1, 128: GreatWyrmBrass announces a mandate to make bolts.
Early Malachite: Some magpie men caught, two crowfolk caught.
Malachite 4, 128: Cave-in results in a caged miner (not the cave-inner).
Malachite 5, 128: Migrants arrive. Population: 69, making Zonnish just about my biggest fortress ever.
Malachite 8, 128: Miner freed. Another construction accident occurs, this time without any amusing cageings.
Malachite 10, 128: A now-pardoned prisoner goes moody.
Malachite 16, 128: A party occurs!
Malachite 19, 128: BerserkNINJA makes a masterwork spiked wooden ball.
Malachite 22, 128: Korshasad created. The cripple noted above for Felisite 6, 128, recovers the use of one arm.

Tithlethud, The Rumored Wills. A native gold grate, noted for the image of King Rith's coronation on one side and of Tithlethud on the other, both in microcline. There's also an image of bugbats and a broad cross (in microcline), and encrusted with native gold, hematite, and microcline, as well as adorned with spikes of giant slug leather and a lot of other stuff, including a lot of microcline. Displayed proudly in GreatWyrmBrass's office.
Taremireg Bobrur Tadar, Fateflushed the Mother of Mortality. A bloodstone hatch cover, noted for the bloodstone image of a cedar on it. It also has pig iron and trifle pewter studs, bands of cushion bloodstone cabochans, and octagon-cut clear tourmalines. In the dining hall, over a stairway that doesn't really lead anywhere yet.
Korshasad, The Cavernous Music. A highwood ring, noted for its blue-dyed sheep wool image of a bogeyman and the highwood image of a naga woman killing a bleak freak. It also has several other decorations, including an image of a book in maple, bands of wolf leather, and generic decorations of maple and cave spider silk. It has grooves on the inside that cause faint, eerie melodies to be faintly played when the soft cavern breezes blow through the middle. Has not had a use found for yet, but thanks to the Display Case mod, I can put it anywhere (indoors only).

Guidelines for Special Powers that I Made Up:
Fey Moods--Neat little quirks caused by physical structure.
Secretive--None, except for the general awesome stated by the description.
Possessed--Varies by what I judge the possessor to be, but will be clearly supernatural.
Macabre--A creepy, vaguely supernatural quirk.
Fell--Similar to possessed, but less supernatural/powerful.

Obviously, nobles are unlikely to leave their current lifestyles, where they get to boss dwarves around and make an easy living with nice living conditions. This would, however, decrease as the noble drops in power--a bookkeeper or broker wouldn't be too much less likely than a normal dwarf to leave, but a count or mayor almost never would unless he ran out of subjects. Less obviously, jobs should play a part--or, rather, skills. If a dwarf's skills are only useful in a larger fortress--e.g, Xcrafters, soap-makers, smiths--then they're unlikely to leave unless their friends/family with better survivally skills are forming a group to leave; hunters and herbalists would probably be among the first to go, probably taking their militia/miner/woodcutter/etc friends with them.

Touched on above. Let's say that there's a group of friends (let's call them the GoFers), which are all displeased to some extent and for some reason. The GoFers' decision to stay or go depends on a variety of qualities of the group. Do they have enough herbalists, hunters, and so forth to keep fed? Do they have or can they get enough weapons and armor to stay protected? Will their crafting skills allow a nice, pleasant existance in their new home? How many of the group have ties to non-GoFers? (In this last case, convincing the non-GoFers to join the GoF's expedition would be possible.) And, of course, are the GoFers willing to uproot their lives in hopes of living somewhere better? These are questions that must be answered, especially the last. Of course, if conditions are bad enough that most of the GoFers are willing to leave, they'd likely be willing to leave a few content members behind, unless those were ones with vital skills.

The question being answered here is, "Are things really bad enough that we're willing to brave all the kinds of dangers that the outside world has to offer?" This, obviously, depends on two things: How bad things are in the fortress, and how dangerous the outside world is. Good and/or benign regions, with their more inoffensive wildlife and such, would be more attractive for emmigrants to leave from, as opposed to he obvious dangers of evil and/or savage areas. Enemy invasions are also worth considering; if there's a lot of sieges or ambushes this time of year, and the group doesn't have a large military presence, it's improbable that they'd leave. (If they did, there should be a chance that any siegers/ambushers coming would encounter the emmigrants. This would likely lead to several siegers carrying gear from the fallen dwarves.) Emmigrants will never leave during a siege. If the surroundng landscape is barren of easily edible plants or animals, the dwarves would be unlikely to leave. Finally, in some circumstances, the presence of a nearby sanctuary (i.e. another mountainhome, a friendly forest retreat, in desperate circumstances an abandoned town, etc) would lead dwarves to head there rather than striking it out in the wilderness. This would also relieve pressures against going for whatever reason--e.g, who cares that the wilderness doesn't have any food/we don't have any herbalists/our defenses would be inadequate? We're only going to be out of the sight of civilization for a day!

It should really go without saying. This is here to remind people of the obvious and to speculate on some less-obvious ways personality could affect dwarves. For instance, adventurous dwarves would obviously be willing to leave faster, but might also leave if the fortress gets dull too fast. Both dwarves who can deal with hardships and dwarves who can't would be willing to stay or unable to leave, so the first to go would be those in the middle. Gregarious dwarves would go if most of their friends were going. Those are the only ones I can think of off the top of my head that aren't horribly obvious.

Obvious? No, because of its subtlety. First off, dwarves would need to think: Why is the fortress so bad that I want to leave it? If it has to do with underprotectedness or something, the emmigrating groups would naturally draw other dwarves in, but if it has to do with shortages of critical supplies, they'd be more likely to stay--"There'll be enough ale to go around once those wastes-of-space are gone!" Another thing to consider is the specific dwarves leaving--if most of the farmers are heading out, a lot of other dwarves would want to go with them. Finally, as others have mentioned, relationships with emmigrating groups would matter a lot. If people you have grudges with are going, you won't want to; if friends, children, or especially lovers/spouses are going, you'll want to. The flip side is true too; if people you have grudges with are staying, you'll be more likely to join the Emmigration Train. This could lead to interesting situations, for instance if one of a pair of lovers wants to leave and the other wants to stay. Sounds like fuel for trashy dwarven romance novels, no?