I must confess - after playing DF on and off for nearly 11 years, I have never gone for the adamantium.
Until this morning.
The fortress of Punchgate had had a relatively peaceful existence, fending off the occasional werecreature or traveling bard. The only metals we could access were lead, zinc and silver, which means our entire military was armed with only their bare hands and leather armour when the eerie pit was breached.
We'd all heard the stories about demons with catepillar's heads made from molten glass that could immolate an entire fortress with a single fart. What we didn't expect was over sixty of them billowing up with the scent of fiery brimstone, melting flesh with paralyzing webs and hellfire before systematically destroying every living thing and demolishing every stick of furniture below ground. All were slain, including the latecoming marksdwarves party who fired off multiple rounds to little avail.
Within a matter of minutes all lay dead, save for the possessed mayor who had been walled up amid his demands for ridiculously esoteric crafting materials and outlandish export bans. It took him almost two months to starve to death, during which an elven caravan arrived and was instantly incinerated, along with every single tree on the upper surface.
With the death of the mayor came the death of Punchgate. And I didn't even get to smith a single damn adamantium sword.
I freaking love this game. Can't wait to start again tonight. I'm thinking a desert fortress, made mostly of green glass.