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[WCG]

So far, I've had two dwarfs go insane because I couldn't supply them with shells. And I see on the Wiki that shells come from turtles, apparently. But turtles have never been an option on the Embark menu, not in any of my three starts (I didn't get too far the first two times). And I've never seen a caravan with turtles or shells.

I've got a ton of dwarves out fishing (none of them have any skill at it, unfortunately), since that's how you're supposed to catch turtles, right? But I've got fishing zones all over the place, and they catch nothing but fish.

This is a little frustrating. Am I just going to have one dwarf after another go insane? Or is there another option?

Bill

PS. With the first dwarf, I tried fixing up her bedroom really nice (her husband was ecstatic!), but though she wandered into it she didn't sleep there (or at all) and it didn't seem to have any impact at all. She spent most of her time in and around the beautifully-appointed dining room, near the well and the food storage, but those things didn't help, either. She got more and more tired, hungry, and thirsty until she died.

Hmm,... I'm now wondering if I can restrain my newly-insane dwarf. I've got a jail area set up, and it's pretty fancy. And that way, at least someone might bring him food and water. I haven't had any experience with that, not yet, but I think I'll try it. Although, I don't know if insanity can actually be cured or not. And I'd just as soon not go through with this with EVERY dwarf! Where in the heck are the shells?

[Hyndis]

Request turtles or cave lobsters from the next caravan. Stockpile them and keep the shells on hand just for strange moods.

[Deon]

But turtles have never been an option on the Embark menu

Wrong. In 39e they are easily avaliable at embark. Also fisherdwarves fish for them nicely in channeled tiles.
Just don't cook them.

[Hackenslacker]

They're easily available at embark only if your civ supplies them.

[soup_alex]

Ditto, you may just be playing civs that don't offer turtles (or cave lobsters) at embark, though lakes/ponds that spawn turtles can be found in most biomes (not glaciers!). You should be able to trade for them, however. Make sure you keep a refuse stockpile specifically for shells (and bones and skulls) somewhere accessible, and most importantly (it's been said, but bears repeating): DO NOT COOK THE TURTLES!

[WCG]

Ditto, you may just be playing civs that don't offer turtles (or cave lobsters) at embark, though lakes/ponds that spawn turtles can be found in most biomes (not glaciers!). You should be able to trade for them, however.

I didn't know there was a difference between the civs, other than the name. At any rate, turtles have NOT been available at embark, because I really looked for them (having read the suggestion at the game wiki).

And I didn't have a fisher-dwarf at first (still don't have anyone skilled at it), but I'll continue to hope my dwarves find a turtle eventually. Regarding the caravans, none have had turtles or shells, but I didn't request them, either. (Is there a chance to request other items after the first caravan? Lately, my broker has been injured, so maybe that's why I'm not seeing any more meetings with caravan representatives.)

The first "strange mood" ended before the next caravan showed up, so that wouldn't have helped in that case, and the second one has given me another insane dwarf, but I will hope that this won't continue forever.

Thanks for the help. (And no, I'll be sure not to cook the turtles. It will be nothing but turtle sushi for my dwarves!).

Bill

[Qmarx]

Can you use fish cleaning on the turtles?  I never did find an answer to that.  I've heard both that it creates shells and that it destroys them, and I don't want to waste them...

[TheDeadlyShoe]

You get Raw Turtles from ponds. They must be processed into Turtles at the fishery by a fish cleaner before they can be eaten. Once eaten they leave behind the shells.

[Christes]

Cleaning turtles makes them edible, but it does not destroy the shells.  The shells are generated when the (not raw) turtle is eaten.

Note that cooking turtle does destroy the shell.

[KrazyDocK]

Hmm,... I'm now wondering if I can restrain my newly-insane dwarf. I've got a jail area set up, and it's pretty fancy. And that way, at least someone might bring him food and water. I haven't had any experience with that, not yet, but I think I'll try it. Although, I don't know if insanity can actually be cured or not. And I'd just as soon not go through with this with EVERY dwarf! Where in the heck are the shells?

None of the post-mood-failure states is curable.  They all end in the death of the dwarf.  Insanity.  Melancholy.  And I seem to think there is a third condition, but it escapes me at the moment.

So there are only exactly two possible outcomes of a strange mood.  One is the creation of an artifact.  The other is the death of the moody dwarf.

[Qmarx]

Hmm,... I'm now wondering if I can restrain my newly-insane dwarf. I've got a jail area set up, and it's pretty fancy. And that way, at least someone might bring him food and water. I haven't had any experience with that, not yet, but I think I'll try it. Although, I don't know if insanity can actually be cured or not. And I'd just as soon not go through with this with EVERY dwarf! Where in the heck are the shells?

None of the post-mood-failure states is curable.  They all end in the death of the dwarf.  Insanity.  Melancholy.  And I seem to think there is a third condition, but it escapes me at the moment.

So there are only exactly two three possible outcomes of a strange mood.  The creation of an artifact, the death of the moody dwarf, or both.

You missed an important possibility (discounting fell/failed fell moods)

[Skanky]

They can't create an artifact AND die as a result of a mood. They can die later on indirectly if the artifact is destroyed, but that isn't an outcome of the mood itself.

To the OP: While you probably know this, if you don't then it will cause you all sorts of heartache. You need to keep the refuse pile for shells (and bones and skulls) inside. Refuse on outdoor refuse piles disappear.

[Qmarx]

They can't create an artifact AND die as a result of a mood. They can die later on indirectly if the artifact is destroyed, but that isn't an outcome of the mood itself.

To the OP: While you probably know this, if you don't then it will cause you all sorts of heartache. You need to keep the refuse pile for shells (and bones and skulls) inside. Refuse on outdoor refuse piles disappear.

I've had severly injured dwarves die because they were moody and bled/starved/dehydrated to death after artifact completion... with the health care fix, though, I suppose that'll be less frequent.

[soup_alex]

Refuse on outdoor refuse piles disappear.

Actually, this is news to me. Even though I'm well-used to moody dwarves seeking shells by now, and this hasn't been a problem (much!) in previous forts, in my current mountain/glacier paradise I'd yet to move the bone/skull/shell pile inside, and wondered why it had never filled up (and more importantly, how 20-or so turtles I'd bought at embark had boiled down to maybe four just a few seasons in.
Thanks; I'll remember, now!

I didn't know there was a difference between the civs, other than the name. At any rate, turtles have NOT been available at embark, because I really looked for them (having read the suggestion at the game wiki).

The first "strange mood" ended before the next caravan showed up, so that wouldn't have helped in that case, and the second one has given me another insane dwarf, but I will hope that this won't continue forever.

Aye, the only *ahem* REAL difference to choosing a different civ, to my knowledge, is what equipment (and especially animals) will be available at embark—the other, less-apparent differences including religious aspects and general Legend-fodder.

Happy to be of service? though you WILL see many more insane dwarves—this, I promise you!

[WCG]

Well, two dwarves dead and now my superbly-skilled swordsmith/furnace operator (one of my original dwarves) is also demanding shells! Is this going to continue through every dwarf in the fortress? It's a bit frustrating.

I've got half the population out fishing, with no luck. And the last caravan - Elves - brought nothing but (unneeded) cloth.

Actually, the disappointing part is that I can't do anything about it. It wouldn't be so bad if I had a chance at healing the insane. I tried to tie them to restraints in my jail - I figured they'd get food and water that way - but that option wasn't available. Only for animals (or criminals, but I think that's done by the sheriff without my direct involvement, right?).

I've learned one thing from this: Never EVER play a civilization which doesn't get turtles at embark! 

Bill