After a few years off from DF, I came back to see all the fun about visiting bards, temples, libraries and such.
I always wanted to make an above ground tower fortress. I decided that an offshoot of my dwarven civilization had decided that true dwarves used the earth to build great tower fortresses, but were shunned and forced to leave. They embarked to a rocky wasteland where they were able to realize their vision in undisturbed solitude.
So here was the setup:
* 3x3 map (more FPS, more danger from invaders)
* No tree harvesting allowed
* No farming allowed
* Start with 10 dwarves (dfhack) but same embark points
* No more than 10 new dwarves/year
Thus was founded: Spires of Pain (Datur Zulash) by Ronmamgoz (Ragedraons).
The tower was coming along pretty well into year two, when this happened:
No problem, I thought. Werelizard. The main gate of the fortress is designed for just this issue. Close it and wait until he goes away. So I give the order to Urist McAnyDwarf to pull the lever. And I wait... and wait... and wait... and by then the werelizard is inside the tower. A quick squad is formed to attack it. The visiting humans shoot it with arrows. Blood, blood everywhere. Eventually it dies and I have 10 injured dwarves of various types.
So I quickly create a hospital and set them up in it. They recover for a week... and then most of the injured transform into werelizards and slaughter everyone else before dying of their wounds.
Aftermath of the carnage, and just before everyone else dies:
Lessons learned:
0) Do not create a defense system that relies on your dwarves doing things quickly!
1) Don't forget to set up your hospital *before* you need it....
2) Make soap before you need it...
3) Isolate anyone who was injured by a were-creature
4) Equip those nice weapons and armor you bought from caravans... early.
The next tower attempt will be "Spires of Longing". It just sounds dwarven.