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[FantasticDorf]

Noise isn't really too explored in dwarf fortress, and over the ages its been noted as being there but really can't permute through the all too common stone doors seperating rooms, and any kind of tavern is usually well away from residential areas where sleep can't be disturbed unless you're literally catching some z's on the middle of the floor after a dancing fit of exhaustion and probably a burrow.

A simple 'siren' kind of design takes any kind of loose handheld instrument and loads it up like a weapon-trap, then cranks up the volume much higher mechanically distorting it into a deafening pitch. Its definitely no pleasant hearing and annoys every dwarf that encounters it but has some particularly useful advantages that will make them... tolerable at least in terms of the fortress's utility.

• Can function as scarecrows for easily frightened animals -  with some pressure plates, birds especially and more timid animals will flee from the noise in a panicked state potentially in a desired opposite location toward traps etc.

• Wakes dwarves up in the matter of a emergency either automatically activated by the civilian burrow alert, or via a lever pull when you desperately want their attention.

• It can have the capability to confuse blind opponents by attacking their hearing, making them particualrly powerful against giant cave ogres who instantly manage to lose all their targets for a time and are inflicted with dizzyness

Here's my musical accompanyment of a mechanism "playing" music (or banging really loud drums/tooting flutes depending on how you view the mechanism 'playing' it)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFXvPtVYt5Y

[NW_Kohaku]

I'd like to see something like an old-timey ship's brass pipes the captain would call down to the engine room with.  Having a watchdwarf blow into the alarm horns that play directly into the barracks would be an amusing system.  Having a mechanic have to install some horns so that it's like pulling a lever that wakes up sleeping soldiers or the like would be a fun gameplay element.  (And add some sort of royalty-free recording of playing an actual horn so the player hears it, too!)

[A_Curious_Cat]

I'd like to see something like an old-timey ship's brass pipes the captain would call down to the engine room with.  Having a watchdwarf blow into the alarm horns that play directly into the barracks would be an amusing system.  Having a mechanic have to install some horns so that it's like pulling a lever that wakes up sleeping soldiers or the like would be a fun gameplay element.  (And add some sort of royalty-free recording of playing an actual horn so the player hears it, too!)

Actually, there wasn’t any such brass pipe.  The engine order telegraph consisted of an electric circuit that turned a pointer on a dial in the engine room in response to the movement of a lever on the bridge.  This was supplemented by an electric bell that was rung to alert the engineers that the setting on the engine order telegraph had changed.

[Nordlicht]

What about large ships before the use of electricity?

Edit:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speaking_tube

Voice pipes, the maritime term, served to transmit reports from lookout positions aloft to the deck and from the bridge to the steering position and engine room. These were somewhat larger in diameter than the domestic version and were often covered in sound absorbent material to increase their efficiency.

Copper voice pipes were being fitted to British two and three-deck warships as early as 1803

[voliol]

Could be fun as a creature mechanic as well: the dragon roars as it enters the fortress, deafening nearby dwarves, and alerting ones further in.

[Silverwing235]

(And add some sort of royalty-free recording of playing an actual horn so the player hears it, too!)

Not exactly what you're thinking for, but maybe this will do? (Putting 'royalty free sfx ship horn' to browser of choice should also work)

[FantasticDorf]

Could be fun as a creature mechanic as well: the dragon roars as it enters the fortress, deafening nearby dwarves, and alerting ones further in.

Has me thinking now about interactions, and whether it could be put into a kind of necro-experiment creature zombie variant, with zombies coming addled by the tone of the noise being appealing to them. Besides generic creatures who just shriek in defence anyway.

[towerator]

Maybe less organized sieges (such as goblins) could be temporarily dazed by a sufficiently loud noise, such as a massive gong. Resistance to going into a few rounds of panic is determined by size VS loudness and discipline if applicable. Stupider creatures such as trolls would likely be affected more, while it may backfire against (semi-)MBs by making them enraged. If the creature already experienced one loud sound blast, further ones will be much less effective (as it has become used to it).

[A_Curious_Cat]

What about large ships before the use of electricity?

Edit:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speaking_tube

Voice pipes, the maritime term, served to transmit reports from lookout positions aloft to the deck and from the bridge to the steering position and engine room. These were somewhat larger in diameter than the domestic version and were often covered in sound absorbent material to increase their efficiency.

Copper voice pipes were being fitted to British two and three-deck warships as early as 1803

Interesting.  I stand corrected.  However, it appears that they proceeded the engine order telegraph on ships, and one of the examples has them being used to give orders to directly adjust the tiller on a sailing ship.