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[Othob Rithol]

Realizing that this thread is about underGROUND features, and that this is technically off-topic, it still might be really interesting to see what's going on deep inside, and under, glaciers. I mean, on Earth, aside from core samples and satellite images, we don't know a whole lot about what's under various glaciers, particularly Antarctica, and the Arctic Circle.

Glaciers are mysterious places, and this could be extended to DF, profitably. There could even be rare substances (ice that's stronger than steel, for example, but that still melts if it gets too warm) and hfs that could only be found underneath glaciers.

The definition of underground I have been using thus far is "not exposed to the sky" so a magma heated ice cavern populated by civilized goblins that worship a walrus idol named "Alghore" is fair game.

And to answer a post very much back: UD is never dead...it just takes breaks.

Adamantium in meteors? Possible, but not just b/c the DMG says so. This is DF.

I'll try to add a not about salty rivers, however that would really SUCK if salt has no purpose.

Finding trees buried would likely just bring a whole torrent of posts in the bug forum, and is a highly rare event. However, petrified wood is in game (and should have some extra value IMHO as a novelty/semi-precious stone or at least a bonus to hit elves when used as a catapult ammo, but that is OT)

The magician's crypt I think is already covered, but I'll take a look at the wording.

[Fieari]

I'd be more interested in finding some super exotic materials in meteorites, such as minute amounts of white dwarf material... roughly one million times heavier than steel.  You'd use it in alloys, diluting the material with adamantine in order to make an object that's super strong, yet possible to be lifted (it'd have to be adamantine, otherwise it'd be too heavy).  I'm talking dilutions of 1 part in 10,000 or so.

(I'm not even going to suggest neutronium, which is so dense that it heats up to star-like temperatures even at tiny sizes.  Although it might be cool.  Hey! You could give neutronium-alloyed weapons and armor to demons!)

EDIT: Come to think of it, can DF even handle density values of 370,000,000,000,000,000 (neutronium)?  What's the bit size of the data structure for density?

[Vattic]

Finding trees buried would likely just bring a whole torrent of posts in the bug forum, and is a highly rare event. However, petrified wood is in game (and should have some extra value IMHO as a novelty/semi-precious stone or at least a bonus to hit elves when used as a catapult ammo, but that is OT)

If you are referring to my post about underground trees I think its important to note that I didn't mean petrified trees but usable wood, there are a few examples of it in the world, it could even be biome specific but still very rare.

I couldn't find the information on the ones found under New York but here is something very similar:
Kauri Wood from swamp land.

[bjlong]

How could you chip a piece off of anything that dense, Fieari? Especially with pre-1400's tech.

However, making really massive stones might be useful.

If we're tracking fossils, btw, we might as well track fossil layers to some degree, for things to make sense.

[Fieari]

How do the dwarves work adamantine as is?

For neutronium, I was thinking it'd be available at the supernatural level only.  But it was more or less a silly thought anyway.

[Neonivek]

You can't raelly work Adamantine

It in essence are little near indestructable strings that they extract from ore

They then weave them together

[Thnikkafan]

I have two ideas.

1: People have already mentioned oozes that live in rock. I think, as a sort of HFS, there could be mega-oozes locked away underground. These would behave like sentient water, trapping and drowning your dwarves.

2: Giant turtles. They slumber slightly underground, and they have sediment and plants growing on them These would take up many squares, from small 3X3X2 to massive 20X20X8 beasts. And that's just the sediment on top of them; they usually take up the same X and Y area, with the lower size of them increasing incrementally: nine Z-layers of earth per three layers of turtle, etc. These beasts slumber until your dwarves try to mine into them. Then they awaken, rise so that they are above ground, and start walking. When they rise, anything on the edge of it is destroyed. They walk very slowly, about fifty tiles a year.

It is indeed possible to build a fort on the larger ones. When the average area of your fortress is on one of these, and you near the edge of a map, the map shifts. There are drawbacks to this, such as being unable to get shipments. It is truly a dwarven task.

[Ampersand]

An eight Z level tall turtle? Somehow, I find that frightening. Unless, you can mine into it's shell somehow?

[Thnikkafan]

Well, it's "shell" is standard earth, and if you dig deep enough, you can get into it's internal workings. An idea I had is to stick a mechanism into it's brain to make it move at your whim.

[Foa]

I think you are talking about some D & D monster, but these turtles shells bigger than islands, and the funny part is that they literally are the island, found in the ocean, these guys have shells like adamantine, don't kill it, or you'll sink, and you can't control it unless you are a coercer, who knows about empathy links, or you are that good at swimming and training.

[Ampersand]

I approve of *Giant Turtle Brain Roast*

[Foa]

I approve of *Giant Turtle Brain Roast*

Just breed the thing, and slay it's offspring for a jackpot of merchandise, or train them and make WAR TURTLE PLATFORMS.

Spoiler: LOL, they underestimate turtle power (click to show/hide)

Bob- "Hai boiz, what are up against in this siege?"
Misc Gob A- "Currently, supposedly turtles and Cross bow Dwarves."
Bob- "Don't sound so bad"
*CRASH*
 *CRASH*
 *CRASH*
 *CRASH*
DwarfCom a - "The Bulkheads have been released, REPEAT, The Bulkheads have been released, today's food includes Plump Helmets mashed with cat meat, and the drink is Cog's Final Brew, the strongest out there, and Squad Five through Eighteen, remember to board prior to launch"

Bob- "Oh SHNAPS!"

*Torch-Lit Spotlights find Gobs*
*Initial fire commences*
* Artillery has hit*

* Blood, Gore and a hell of a lot of screaming later*

Bob ( In hell)- "Fuck- ... a few stones later ... WTF, haven't they done enough to us, my body is filled with deathly amounts of barbs, and too many Ballistae Warheads, WHAT DO THEY WANT???"

[penguinofhonor]

I think you'd mine into the layers of dirt on top of the turtle's shell (maybe 4-5 layers, enough for a real small fort), which would be incredibly strong and filled with regular turtle stuff, just really big. And you could drop rope ladders to interact with the outside world. And get your metalsmiths to construct large metal plates that you would fit around the turtle's legs and a huge turtle-helmet to protect it from attackers.

[Thnikkafan]

Penguin, that's not what I was thinking. You don't know you're mining into a turtle until you wake it up by mining into it's internal workings. Not sure if I like the rope ladders, though.

[Duke 2.0]

 Then you manipulate nerve endings inside the turtle to make it do your bidding.

 After it dies, a crafter will go into a strange mood and create a legendary city with the shell.