The Settler is the backbone of any developing empire. One of them is awarded when gold reserves reach 100. It can found new cities and increase the population of a city, which is useful later in the game for siphoning off population from cities that have reached their maximum and helping smaller cities grow. However, there are some things to note about founding cities: Settlers cost 2 population, or 1 with Republic. They can also be awarded by Barbarian villages or Native villages.