.....I didn't really believe, REALLY believe that I'd get into the whole story-telling aspect, since in general I'm more of a not-that-good power-gamer who doesn't know the game well and sticks around just long enough to learn the game but not long enough to master it, but.....
I just had a cyclops visit. So, me panicking since I hadn't done any military stuff aside from setting up 2 3-4 person squads the year before......
As I struggle through the military interfaces, quickly drafting 10+ more dwarves, I send dwarves dressed only in clothes and shoddily armed out to form up outside. I realize that the Marksdwarves don't have any ammo, but decided to go with it anyway ("This is Dwarf Fortress, after all, what's a bit more fun?"). Then I gave the order to attack the Cyclops, with pretty much all the dwarves having had no military training at all.
Kulet Avuzstizash was a Recruit with clothes on her back and a short copper sword, and nothing else. She was also carrying her baby at the time. She was the closest and attacked the Cyclops. Who was also, thankfully, unarmed/armored.
Alone. Baby in hand.
The Cyclops grabbed the Dwarf, and Kulet stabbed him in the hand. The Cyclops gets several good punches in. Old Cyclops charges Kulet and knocks her over. Then the Cyclops grabs the baby by the finger. Mom comes back, stabbing the Cyclops in the previously stabbed hand, tearing muscles, ligaments, and bruising the bone. They dance around a bit more, then Kulet stabs the Cyclops in the hand again, before jamming her sword into the Cyclops' left foot, knocking the Cyclops over. The Cyclops becomes enraged, but Kulet doesn't let up. She's just bashing the CRAP out of him, cutting nerves, muscles, ligaments, etc all over his body, before hitting the Cyclops' right ribcage, and apparently puncturing a lung. Around here somewhere Kulet becomes a Swordsdwarf. The Cyclops starts having breathing, and shortly falls unconscious, having given no fight since the ribcage stab. At this point, Kulet starts bashing the Cyclops' head with her sword, joined shortly by a Marksdwarf without ammo, who uses her copper crossbow to join in.
Right about now, the Cyclops wakes up, but is still unable to fight. The Marksdwarf BITES the Cyclops on the foot, taking a firm grip on the muscles, but is quickly shaken off.
Then my favorite part of the fight:
The Cyclops Looks Sick
The Cyclops Vomits
The Cyclops Misses the Marksdwarf.
Projectile vomiting as an attack.
At this point the two dorfs start bashing the Cyclops' head again, until finally the poor beastie is put out of its misery, but not before vomiting several more times. And just as it breathes its last, the other 20-odd dwarves finally show up, just as Kulet goes to find her kid.
Did I mention that none of my dwarves were injured beyond bruises?
.......holy crap.
I.....think I may be hooked.
time to get these dwarves some decent armor. and weapons. and training.
Glad I've been stocking up on leather.
And Kulet
command of her own Squad. Militia Commander.