I updated a mod I hadn't worked on since version 34.08, and I've been testing the stuff I updated before starting new additions. My test fort just saw its first siege, a squad of ten or so cave elves that used most of their steel for armor, leaving 'em armed primarily with lesser metals. A couple of my civilians saw them on the hill peak, and climbed over the wall to fight the invaders alone. My military, of course, went all the way around.
One worker, a general laborer, fought a pike-elf with a copper glaive. It was a tough fight and she got cut up pretty badly, but a Molvokan goblin's iron claws proved too much for a copper helm and no shield. Aslot came out on top, earning the profession of Brawler instead of Worker. The fort's metal crafter, needed to satisfy Master Stozu's frequent mandates for rings, had a tougher time. Her opponent had a steel helm, and iron shield, and a silver battle axe. The axe could only inflict minor wounds, and glanced off her iron crown a few times, but Amxu couldn't get many blows past the elf's guard, and even fewer through his armor. She fought until she passed out from exhaustion, and then the elf started crippling all her joints with wrestling attacks. My axe squad arrived in time to save her life, but she's pretty thoroughly mangled.
Meanwhile, warlord Båx Earthhorrors and his swordmaster squad went through the rest of the siege like a scimitar through butter. Båx took the lead throughout the battle, killing five cave elves; Usbu Groovemenaced got two, including the only notable kill of the lot. I assume she killed the leader of the invasion squad. That part of the battlefield was pretty well obscured with smoke for most of the fight. Apparently putting a webbing caste and a torching caste in the same squad results in lots of burning webs. Who'd have guessed? I may have to reorganize the military to avoid that - not that it bothered the Molvokans any, but I was hoping to collect more iron-silk after the fighting.
Aftermath of the battle: the mender has some work to do for the first time since the fort was established. Two of my workers have collected a lot of lovely scars, which would get them free drinks in the tavern if the drinks weren't all free anyway. I verified that the syndrome I put in the Molvokans' blood to give them a pleasure thought from contact with it works. And I clearly need to make my walls high enough that people can't see the hill outside while they're working.
EDIT: Possessed mood got me an artifact steel morningstar named the Stale Ravager. "This object menaces with spikes of steel", which is fitting. None of my citizens have any real skill with the mace, so I'm assigning it to Master Stozu.