The liaison from the only nearby dwarf civilization died on his last visit. Happened to coincide with a siege. Will that civ ever appoint a new one?
The nearby goblin civilization has a general. He's in a cage in my zoo. I don't know exactly what it means for them to have a general, nor what the significance of his capture is. Is there some more productive way to use him than just putting him on display?
First off, the liaison to my current fortress died on his first visit and, more than a decade later, I've yet to get a replacement. Further, the humans haven't sent me a diplomat, either, and my fortress is a metropolis with ~1,300,000 created wealth. Some people seem to get replacements, others not. I guess it depends on your civilization and where they stand in the world (are they dead, dying, etc.).
Secondly, of course there is. Kill him! The goblins I've had to deal with have a dwarven War Leader -- a scary female with pale skin and long, white hair. She always appears with the biggest sieges, and stands back while her soldiers move in. If I killed her, I imagine they'd need another War Leader and until they got one attacks would dissipate -- in number if not frequency. A General, on the other hand, sounds like a higher rank than War Leader. Finish 'em; that'll send a message to those gobbos. :3