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[nogoodnames]

Awesome forgotten beast drawings, dude! Glad that Drillscribe served some purpose for the fort none-the-less.

So...thoughts about dumping undead into the caverns to fight the forgotten beasts? That echidna could probably take on both without issue.

Oh, that wasn't Drillscribe, she left the map months ago. Just another random helmet snake.

As for the undead, I might save a few that look interesting. Actually putting them to use would most likely be up to the next overseer. I'm too focused on breaking the siege and general survival at the moment.


I checked every corpse in the caverns that I could see, and none of them were Bim. But allow me to feed the rampant speculation with her final thoughts:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

So, her last memory is of trauma. No mention of hunger or dehydration, but she hadn't been able to fulfill any needs in a while. Or maybe needs continue to affect ghosts? Olon still has needs but my ghoul does not. Very strange...

[mko]

Thanks for updates!

Are we still at 47.01 as described in initial post?

[nogoodnames]

No, the latest version (47.04)

[nogoodnames]

===+ Journal of the Undying Overseer – Summer 104 +===


15th Hematite

Salmeuk is priming the final trap, but he tells me that things have changed on the surface. The constant clanking of armoured zombies can no longer be heard. The necromancers have finally tired of their siege and moved on.

Salmeuk also tells me that he can make out voices from above. The human traders must have seen the horde leaving and come to investigate. I’m not too enthused about their chances. The surface is still swarming with undead animals. This will not help our diplomatic relationship.

But maybe we can give them a fighting chance… Salmeuk, it is time! Break through to the surface!


16th Hematite

The sounds of battle echo through the halls, mixed with screams from man and beast alike.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Salmeuk carved out the entrance into our trap hall, but too late to help the merchants. Their two guards, as well as some surprisingly tough water buffalo, are still up there and actually holding their own so far. We can only hope they thin out the horde before they’re overwhelmed.


20th Hematite

Alas, the zombies were too much for the humans. And unfortunately, they seem reluctant to enter our trap hall. Only one has been captured so far, a skeletal kangaroo. We do have some good news, however. With the siege gone and a few kills thanks to the humans, there are now only 14 zombies on the surface. As long as more don’t come, they won’t be able to overwhelm our traps. Hopefully they gradually filter underground and get caught before any migrants decide to brave the fortress.

Maybe the doors are keeping them away? Although, unlocked doors don’t seem to deter the ones trapped down here. If it becomes necessary, I can go up there, remove the doors and act as bait. But there’s no rush for now. We can bide our time.


1st Malachite

At last, the zombies have begun shuffling into the trap hall. They were strangely cautious for such mindless beings. The echidna (of course it was an echidna) leading the pack spent several days just sitting in front of the captured kangaroo. If I didn’t know better, I might have thought it was trying to figure out a way to free its cohort. But they’re coming through now, and it shouldn’t be long before they all find themselves in cages.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

 

In the meantime, Salmeuk has almost finished carving out the zombie containment and disposal chamber. We might decide to keep some of the more interesting specimens, but I think the majority would be best off destroyed.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

 

You may have noticed some additional rooms planned out beside the containment chamber. For now, let’s just say there are certain… experiments I would like to perform should we ever capture one of the necromancers that torment us. My condition has given me insight into possibilities concerning their powers. With proper coercion, they could be used to great benefit by our fortress. But those possibilities lie far in the future. We are well-occupied with more pressing matters for the time being.


5th Malachite

Freedom at last. We have cleared the undead scourge from the surface. Now begins the arduous task of cleanup. It would be less than ideal if the first thing to greet our new citizens were heaping mounds of corpses. Not to mention that a single necromancer could sneak through and start this whole nightmare over again.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

 

[Salmeuk]

Well done! I have to ask, how mentally broken is my character?

========

Let me bring you all back, to the thing that turned Smallhands into a nightmare:

More like Suicidehands, am I right?

Yeah...

Final Update:

All of the zombies disappeared, so I decided to let some winter migrants come in (by bridge, should've used the labyrinth instead).
I did not expect the echidna corpse.
We drove it off* with only 3 4 casualties**.
And then the zombie horde bum rushed in.
The upper level has been compromised.
And then Granite came, and it ceased to be my problem.
So, I recommend cutting off the lower layers, while the horde takes a trip into our very well stocked*** hospital.
Sorry.

Let's read that again.

I did not expect the echidna corpse.

All along, it was waiting to attack at the perfect moment, to cause the collapse of our defenses and the downfall of the fortress. From then on, it inspired fear and respect from all of us:

Echidna jailbreak:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

At last, the zombies have begun shuffling into the trap hall. They were strangely cautious for such mindless beings. The echidna (of course it was an echidna) leading the pack spent several days just sitting in front of the captured kangaroo. If I didn’t know better, I might have thought it was trying to figure out a way to free its cohort. But they’re coming through now, and it shouldn’t be long before they all find themselves in cages.

A proposal:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

So...thoughts about dumping undead into the caverns to fight the forgotten beasts? That echidna could probably take on both without issue.

Things get weird:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The only sounds that remain are the grunting of the diplomat and the harsh wails of the undead echidna

A dreadful experience:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

In a 0.44 fortress, I once had an undead elf bashing a living echidna 24500 times with an iron bow over the course of 10 months before the echidna was finally dead. With an undead echidna and fist punches only, this might as well take decades.

A soldier is trained:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I would like to reclaim our main stairwell and rescue my undead sister, but she is still locked in eternal combat with that infernal echidna.

Her fighting and dodging abilities have become legendary while dealing with that thing. It can barely touch her now, and she is brutalizing it in ways I have a hard time understanding.



Unfortunately, the echidna stays rolled up in a ball, not exposing any vulnerable parts. Coupled with its undead durability, she can’t get a killing blow on it. Proper weapons are needed to end its reign of terror, but I’m reluctant to send our two living dwarves to assist. The numerous corpses of previous contenders are proof enough of the danger. I won’t try until I can provide them with at least basic armour.

More detail about the one that started it all:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The reason the gate was open was to get some migrants in, and the zombie echidna tied down the militia until they were all injured. 

Auzewasright reveals a dark irony:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Sigun did show me a echidna having an existential crisis this week. I really enjoyed that.

That echidna went from having an existential crisis to being an existential threat to the (what one may generously call a) fortress. For bonus irony, you were actually killed by that echidna.

>TFW you wake up from a nap and your whole fortress is dead

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I like this Abli necro though, he's got some history. I'm worried that he might res all those camels. . .

I would say you were right to worry, considering those camels are kicking open dwarfs' heads left and right, but your dwarf is one of the few to be completely fine and safe, thanks to him being in bed while all of this is going on.

It probably wasn't the same echidna the whole time. Probably.

My proposal? Save the echidna corpse, if you have one.

[nogoodnames]

Well done! I have to ask, how mentally broken is my character?

He's utterly unfazed by anything that's going on. May as well be another ghoul with how little stress effects him. Any hardships just seem to harden his resolve. We really lucked out with the survivors, most dwarves would have gone insane ages ago.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

My proposal? Save the echidna corpse, if you have one.

We have 5 echidnas in cages, with an additional 3 trapped in Laterigrade's labyrinth and the one fighting Olon. 4 of those have names, and 3 are full titles. When the humans arrived, one of the guards lashed an echidna with a bronze whip until he passed out. These little bastards can't do much damage, but they're damn near indestructible if they roll into a ball, to the point where it must be a bug. Even in the arena, multiple grand master vampire fighters with steel and silver weapons couldn't put one down.

So, what I'm saying is that they're too dangerous to ever be unleashed. I'll save some in the cages, but the one on the stairs, "Roastedscaled the Harmonious", needs to die. I just have no idea how to do that without killing Olon too.


Also...

Spoiler: Revenge! (click to show/hide)

[auzewasright]

By the way, the original (first) echidna corpse to attack our fortress (and is to blame for the invasion of undead) is named "Ibeshlaz Thir" (Roastedscaled the Harmonious). I would recommend caution before the end of each season, but that goes without saying.

Edit: As for how Bim died...

Spoiler: Bim's Fate (click to show/hide)

[nogoodnames]

===+ Journal of the Undying Overseer – Summer 104 +===


5th Malachite

After examining the situation on the surface, I believe I’ve gained some insight into our echidna problem. Evidence on the battlefield indicates that one of the humans fought with another of the beasts. Despite having armour and a proper weapon, the poor bastard still couldn’t do anything to it.

Olon has been wailing on the monstrosity for close to two years, that thing should be finely minced echidna paste by now. I am beginning to think that there is far more to these creatures than meets the eye. The necromantic magic seems to take to their anatomy particularly well, reinforcing their bodies far beyond that of ordinary zombies. I fear that not even dwarven steel will be able to break through their defenses.

But they are still vulnerable to cages. If I can separate Olon and Roastedscaled, the echidna that caused this whole mess, I should be able to capture him. If I collapse part of the roof of our main entrance, it should fall down the stairwell. Hopefully the force of the collapse will separate the pair without killing Olon. A cage trap at the bottom will hopefully capture Roastedscaled. It’s a risky plan, but the rewards of freeing Olon and reclaiming the centre of our fortress are worth it.


9th Malachite

I was just cresting the roof of our main entrance when I caught a sight that would have made me weep in my previous life. Migrants, at long last! No longer is Smallhands one accident away from total annihilation.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

 

Every rose has its thorns. And in Smallhands, the thorns are coated with toxic muck that gives you a permanent fever. On their way into the fortress, the migrants were ambushed by a roving pack of beak dogs. Two are already badly wounded. Looks like one of them is holding his own, at least. We have no choice but to pull together and drive the monsters back. This time I’m close enough to help. For Estotad!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

12th Malachite

We beat them, but not without a cost. Two of the migrants died, and one is badly wounded, likely to need a crutch for the rest of her life. I’ve designated the unused noble bedroom to be used as a temporary hospital for poor Thikut. This adds urgency to reclaiming the stairwell, as all of our medical supplies, not to mention our water source, are locked away in the old hospital.

Two of the migrants stood out to me during the combat. Ast, a hunter, and Moldath, a swordsdwarf. While Ast’s move of dropping his crossbow and running in to punch the beak dogs was perhaps not the wisest, he did demonstrate adequate skill. Moldath, on the other hand, valiantly defended the other migrants until I arrived. If not for him, I am certain the casualties would be far worse. His skill and bravery make him an obvious choice for our new militia commander.


14th Malachite

A careless dwarf attempted to go up the stairwell to wash themselves but was scared off by Roastedscaled. That could have ended in disaster, but something unexpected has happened. The echidna moved down several levels, trying to get to the dwarf. Olon didn’t follow when it moved out of range, finally ending their relentless battle, at least for now. If she is shown a way out now, maybe she will take it…

That’s done it. The main gate is open and she’s moving out. Just a little further and…

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

 

By Weevilmessiah, can we not have one moment of peace? The gods-damned echidna followed her out. I am convinced at this point that he’s some kind of demonic entity sent to punish us for our hubris. “Oh, you want to celebrate smallness, do you? Well here’s the cutest, smallest unkillable abomination you’ve ever seen!”

And now he’s uncontained… If I close the bridge now, it might kill the beast, or at least trap him again. But it might also kill Olon…

I’m sorry, sister. The safety of the fortress is paramount.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

 
CRUNCH!

Forgive me.

[Laterigrade]

Loving the drawings and writing nogoodnames; you’re doing an excellent job picking the fortress back up.

By Weevilmessiah, can we not have one moment of peace? The gods-damned echidna followed her out. I am convinced at this point that he’s some kind of demonic entity sent to punish us for our hubris. “Oh, you want to celebrate smallness, do you? Well here’s the cutest, smallest unkillable abomination you’ve ever seen!”

I never thought about it this way though

[mko]

Thanks again for the description and images and everything!

After examining the situation on the surface, I believe I’ve gained some insight into our echidna problem. Evidence on the battlefield indicates that one of the humans fought with another of the beasts. Despite having armour and a proper weapon, the poor bastard still couldn’t do anything to it.

Olon has been wailing on the monstrosity for close to two years, that thing should be finely minced echidna paste by now.

Is there an open bug report for that? Not that reporting is likely to result in fix but it would be nice to try.

[delphonso]

Yeah honestly, I'm really happy with how this whole thing is going - Great work Laterigrade and nogoodnames - you've really put the pieces back together, and thanks auzewasright for getting us into this mess in the first place.

I dug through the reports earlier today. Unfortunately - this specific problem keeps getting lumped in with the undead hair problem - which I think is actually different. Undead hair can't die since it has only one body part that can't be mangled, while echidnas and other small animals are just impervious due to something strange happening with skulls - echidna, turtle, and porcupines probably more so.

“Oh, you want to celebrate smallness, do you? Well here’s the cutest, smallest unkillable abomination you’ve ever seen!”

Very very nice.


Also, undead animals - like those that wander in on evil biomes - don't have siege pathing, so they won't generally go straight into doors/openings. At least, no more than your average weasel. But due to their aggression, they will path if they see something they want to kill. I'm surprised undead animals risen by necromancers don't get siege pathing, but then again, Goden and Olon are helping the fort, so....

[nogoodnames]

I dug through the reports earlier today. Unfortunately - this specific problem keeps getting lumped in with the undead hair problem - which I think is actually different. Undead hair can't die since it has only one body part that can't be mangled, while echidnas and other small animals are just impervious due to something strange happening with skulls - echidna, turtle, and porcupines probably more so.

I don't think that's the full explanation. Living and giant hedghogs and echidnas have the same issue. The living ones will eventually bleed out if hit by an edged weapon, but won't die from blunt attacks.

We also seem to have another bug where the echidnas have all the advantages of being in ball form, but can still attack and move around. I haven't been able to reproduce it reliably in the arena.

Armadillos and tortoises don't have the same problem because their shell can be severed, leaving them vulnerable again.

I'll create a bug report since I just managed to guess my forgotten Mantis account.

Also, undead animals - like those that wander in on evil biomes - don't have siege pathing, so they won't generally go straight into doors/openings. At least, no more than your average weasel. But due to their aggression, they will path if they see something they want to kill. I'm surprised undead animals risen by necromancers don't get siege pathing, but then again, Goden and Olon are helping the fort, so....

They bee-lined in pretty fast once they got past their initial hesitation. Maybe they got a whiff of Salmeuk when he was doing something near the surface.

My headcanon is that necromancers are all just self-important idiots messing with powers they don't really understand. They can create undead but can't really control them beyond very basic things. Although I am a bit sad that the intelligent undead can't talk so you can't resurrect some ancient king in adventure mode and start up a conversation with him.

[delphonso]

Cool. I'll mess around in arena mode and see if I can get some consistent results when I have the time.

"I was brought back from the dead recently. It makes me so grouchy!"

[nogoodnames]

Apparently it was reported back in 2018 but never got any attention: http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=10519

[mko]

Apparently it was reported back in 2018 but never got any attention: http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=10519

There is no savegame for recent version - uploading save where echidnea fights for months may be very helpful, as it give (a) reproduction (b) evidence that it is still present in recent version (c) evidence that bug noticeably impacts gameplay.