Great topic!
Remember, to the average commoner, Ravenloft isn't a cruel and evil world to live in. Sure, it's got it's share of oddities, like the Mists, and random strangers popping out of nowhere from time to time, but that's just the way of the world. It's always been like that for you, why should you question it?
Actually, just being a 1st lvl commoner doesn't nescessarily indicate anything about where it's safest to live. Being poor and out on your luck is probably just as hard in Dementlieu as it is in Darkon or Hazlan. Although the underclass is probably worse of in Falkovnia and Nova Vaasa, living can probably be quite easy if you're a part of the empowered (semi)elite...
Owning a farm somewhere in the outback of Nova Vaasa or Hazlan sounds pretty nice to me. I'd love to live in Nova Vaasa, actually, because it resembles old medieval Norway.
But I would probably favor Dementlieu. Being part of Dementlieus relatively wealthy but unimportant middle class would be nice. Lamordia seems a bit too cold even for my tastes, as a Norwegian. Plus the grub is better in the Mordentish-speaking lands. I'm more partial to tea and biscuits than cabbage and mutton.
