Combatshield continues to grow.
The silk farm has been set up, with a quadruple saveguard to prevent a rampant megabeast. First, there's the fortifications between it and the silk collection room. Then, it has to get through multiple doors and past a few workshops, which should at least delay it. Then there's a cage containing an undead dwarf. If it ever passes by, it should break open the cage and end up fighting the dwarf. Finally, there's a drawbridge set to close off the entire section. If all that fails, I still have my militia, whose commander just reached Legendary in hammerdwarf.
Another litter was born. I'm more than happy with that; gotta have a steady supply of bait on hand!
A metalcrafter went into a strange mood, claimed my forge, grabbed some pig tail cloth and pig iron, then demanded I give him bones. A butcher's shop was placed next to the necrohazard pit, a ram (sadly I didn't have any pigs to butcher) was slaughtered, and the animatable parts were immediately thrown down the pit. The crafter happily grabbed the bones and created... a pig iron figurine.
Great; the second most expensive item in my fortress is a crudely shaped hunk of imperfection-addled iron. At least it depicts something interesting: a zombie draltha striking down a forgotten beast beneath my fortress. At least now if an undead FB destroys my fortress, I'll know where it came from.
In less important news, a butcher got himself elected mayor. I suppose I'll get the bloke some rooms.
Back to the silk farm; it doesn't work. I have the fortifications, the drawbridge, the war dog as bait... and yet Herman the Worm is not spitting any webs. I know it can; I saw it bite a war dog's head off after immobilizing it with webs. Anyone got any advise?