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[firelord84]

I embarked in a temperate conifer forest near a mountain.  It is nowhere near a volcano.  In my embark I have inadvertently discovered a HUGE magma pipe.  This thing starts literally 4 levels below the surface and goes down 48 (!) levels before it hits magma.  The really FUN part is that it connects directly to the 3rd cavern.  This makes me deathly afraid, because I literally just started my first two military squads of untrained marksdwarves and two partially-trained melee dwarves (a maceman and a spearman).  I have a steel industry going but it's just now ramping up, and I don't even have enough armor and weapons for my paltry forces.

I am not brand new to DF, but this is my first time even breaching the 3rd cavern, let alone way before I'm ready for it.  Currently I'm still building my wall around the inside of my moat outside my lone fortress entrance.  I'm beginning to wonder what the goblins are up to though as I've yet to even have my first ambush half way though my second year.... (previously I have faced and successfully defended moderate-sized sieges with mounts, but no fliers).

I am wondering what to do about this.  I really want to take this opportunity to start my magma furnaces early (a first for me so I'm a little excited about it), but how do I possibly deal with the fact that this thing is 48 levels deep?  And what do I do about the cavern?  I know I could just build a wall to block off where I broke through to this giant hole, but is there any way at all to reasonably use this magma pipe?

   Thanks!

[smjjames]

The fact that it goes down all the way to the third cavern level isn't a problem because only magma dwelling creatures would bother you through the pipe.

Although, wait, it almost sounds like you're describing a 48 z level pit that doesn't have magma in it until the part that's in the third cavern level?

[firelord84]

Correct.  There is a 48-level pit down to the magma.  And this magma starts slightly below the level of the 3rd cavern, which means that there is open space between my breach and the 3rd cavern, and the pipe is open to the 3rd cavern.

So, basically, I have a giant hole in my embark that goes down almost to adamantine level which I have just breached in my second year.  Can I utilize this giant empty pipe at all to get at the magma below?  Or should I just seal it off and wait for the FUN creatures to start flying of the 3rd cavern and trying to find a way to my fortress?

[smjjames]

Pretty unusual to have a pit that goes straight down 48 z levels and starts only a couple z levels below ground. Even more unusual to have it line right up with a magma pipe. Well, okay, not THAT unusual since if you have a high volcanism setting, you'd get more of the magma pipes in an area, which ups the chances, still....

Does it breach the first and second cavern levels? If not, you could seal off the part that got breached and then make a stairwell down to the third cavern level and depending on the overall state of the fort, you could wait until you're ready to make a more controlled breach into the third cavern level and wall off the area surrounding the pipe.

Really though, it's up to you to make what you will of this unique embark.

Edit: Also, whether or not the pipe breaches the other two cavern levels, you should drop down a kitten or maybe an annoying noble into it to get a better view of the area around the pipe in the caverns.

[Urist McRas]

Build your fort inside. Sounds dwarven.

[firelord84]

Hm, well, I sent a "scout" down.  It appears the 3rd cavern is very "maze-like" and pierces the pipe in two places.  I think it misses the 1st and 2nd caverns.  I just get freaked out when I see blood thorns   Also.  Magma crabs.  I get the feeling I'm going to have to be very careful with my little experiment.

[Thormgrim]

i think you should dangle a fortress from the ceiling atop this huge chasm and arrogantly penetrate its hoary depths!

[Person]

Could we have a save? Would like to check this out.

[PDF urist master]

if your fort has iron you should be fine.

the third cavern is where really weird stuff lives. mud men, creeping guts, hungry heads, blobs, etc. most of them are pretty weak, but far more dangerous creatures do exist. amythest men, which are tough as nails; jabberers, huge "birds" that are almost as big as elephants; cave dragons, who while cannot breathe fire, can grow into some of the largest creatures you'll ever see. the likelihood of seeing these beast is very slim, but overall I'd still think the GCS is more terrifying.

oh I forgot about bugbats. annoying little critters, like crundles except they can fly. apparently, according to the wiki, very dangerous.

[smjjames]

In my experience, bugbats aren't particularily dangerous, just annoying.

[Koremu]

It may actually be a magma pipe that has drained through the hole into the 3rd cavern.

Are there any random spots of Obsidian in the cavern?

[nekoexmachina]

Correct.  There is a 48-level pit down to the magma.  And this magma starts slightly below the level of the 3rd cavern, which means that there is open space between my breach and the 3rd cavern, and the pipe is open to the 3rd cavern.

So, basically, I have a giant hole in my embark that goes down almost to adamantine level which I have just breached in my second year.  Can I utilize this giant empty pipe at all to get at the magma below?  Or should I just seal it off and wait for the FUN creatures to start flying of the 3rd cavern and trying to find a way to my fortress?

Dude, could you please share your save? I want to play this place!

[Fluoman]

You can dig to the magma level, but around the pipe. Seal the entrace to your fortress.
Get ready to use many blocks once you get to the magma level, so that you can build a floor and walls really quickly to avoid magma crabs (filthy snipers, they are).

[blue sam3]

Well, step one: post your worldgen details here, that sounds awesome.

[Lielac]

I'll chime in with another request for the save. Put the folder in a .zip and upload it to the DFFD!