So, I've been playing DF for a year or two now, and I recently concentrated on reaching Economy Mode (I usually get bored due to low-fps (10-30)).
Since spring, I rushed through everything to fill up all the needs... I had 91 dwarves, and a good number of jobs done - but no Export Worth! So, I tediously awaited the arrival of the dwarven caravan (I'm set up on a island, see)... And, they came. My fingers tingled, my nose twitched and my toes tickled... they came around the corner, over my bridge... Into my courtyard... Onto my trade depot...
Then everything near it exploded in a cloud of blood.
I had dwarves rushing around to get all my crafts to the Depot, my mayor included, whilst my Trader sat waiting. Everybody died. My population of 91 plumetted to 79, over half were greviously wounded and unconcious, and everybody covered in blood.
Then the swirl began. The trade depot was destroyed, the remaining traders left before even setting up and I could only stare in horror.
Luckily, though, I had a recent dwarf, a metalsmith, who had no friends and was crafting an artifact at the time (Turned out to be a copper earring...), so he avoided the... Blast.
~~
Morale of the story? Never mod the DF you are going to use to attempt anything epic. On the upside, I did finish the castle I was building.
Throne room, bedroom, dining room, all that jazz at Royal, awaiting for the king. T'was all rather large and 5 tiers high, including the roof, and the entire above-ground fortress was surrounded in a walkable, Fortified wall. The only thing underground was my food operations, which was also next to the sea-coast for fishing, farms, and basic bedrooms to keep from unhappy thoughts.
...Whilst I'm writing this, I may aswell gloat about my Steel bridge. Mwuha.