been gone for a month. came back with a ghost companion, knowledge of adventurer gray goblin leaders.
a way to get dwarves out of trees with out chopping said tree down,
and AND a huge love for Goblins moving in to Forts
and the fact you can Trade former dwarves if they turn into cats.
I'm back and have to say START retiring an adventurer to Fort mode and make them expedition leaders(on top of all the noble positions you can) you get access of hiring military-dwarves out of anyone and probably gain access to assigning people to your fort.
still no where close to getting that adventurer breeding but found out that bird people will randomly fly upwards into a tree and get stuck there.
and you can Cage trap those friendly 'hostile' units in fort mode meaning you can build cages of men and women for your adventurer's room.
so yeah cat transformations seem to morph ghosts to semi solid state also kinda had to dance and tell a tale about the cat bartender ghost dwarf lady rise to haunt her friends and family... even though she was formally a tame cat transformed but drown in a well accident. she has no friend or family thus unable to spook them.
oh and 8_lives straight up can hold a cup and drink from it.
should set up that ghost adventurer project knowing companions are still doable in vanilla(no dfhack) dwarf fortress