Personally it sounds crazy but I would start in Pax Tharkas. Qualinesti is no more, Thorbardin is no more, There are a lot of displaced elves, dwarves, and humans running about, The area has a sizeable population. The area is fertile with plenty of sustainment. Southern Ergoth is under ice. The gnomes are a sea and a half away. Solamnia is across the sea but the KoS and the KoN are locked in a stalemate. Tarsis lies to the south with plenty of disgruntled citizens that could be potential fuel for the fires of war. The KoN has their backs turned towards the invading minotaurs. Even better, Sanction is the hub of the continent and to get around by land you have to go through there or a long way around very close to Silvanesti (under minotaur control). The only real threat is from Solamnia across the sea. Objective would be to build a nation free from northern affairs and their unstable politics. Second, to discourage the minotaur invasion from striking into southern Ansalon. Promise power, glory, and a sense of nationalism. Dragons would not be in my agenda unless some try to get involved. In which I could get help whether good or bad ( good political maneuvering). To get mage help they would be interested to know that one of the most powerful magical devices is somewhere in Qualinesti (the sphere of Galan Dracos). That would be enough to get any mage working for you.
What's your thoughts?*Minor Spoiler*
At the end of Dark thane, which finishes about 2 years after the WoS, it seems to suggest that King Gilthas has taken what remnants of the elves are left, which brings a nice result to the original conception. The 'Peace of Friends', originally created between the dwarves, elves and Ergothians, would be a very ironic place to start with a warlord. Although, why warlord? If there's no plan to go to war, then you can't be a warlord. Is this a hypothetical question, or the basis for a campaign you're designing?
However, dwarves could easily have one of these lords, or you could even use Gilthas, thrying to start a new nation of lots of different peoples living in harmony. The exiled mountain dwarves were of mixed clans, and open-minded (mostly).
If I were a warlord, I'd probably start wherever I came from, find that I'm charismatic and good at controlling troops, (ie be a noble, take leadership, go for the tatical thingumy prestige class), and then try and take somewhere nearby with not many alliances or friends. If I was evil, I'd have nothing wrong with conscripting goblins and hobgoblins into it. If I were good, I'd probably be trying to liberate somewhere. I'd probably not have much luck, as there have been some many wars and losses and such like.
Other than that, I'd probably go for Qualinesti, since it's free game... oh yeah, someone's already done that...
I tossed out the idea so that I could other opinions and look for material for a campaign setup. Believe it or not I have to refamiliarize myself with Krynn because I have been travelling in foreign lands for a few years. Where I've been, you can't even get latrine service much less anything else. I didn't know about the dragon overlords or the WoS. I'm overviewing those right now to understand them.
:embarrass