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[Rokkomies]

I had a strange incident in my last fort recently (if anything can be considered strange in DF). My fort was visited by a Zombie Minotaur in the late winter. As soon as it arrived, I ordered everybody inside and pulled my bridge up. My courtyard entrance looks something like this:
========
XXXXXXXX
OOOOOOO
XXXOXXX
==XOX==
O=XOX=O
O=XOX=O
==GGG===
~~GGGM~
~~GGG~~
~~GGG~~
OOOOOOOOO

G=bridge (was pulled up)
~=moat filled with water
==Wall
O=ground
X=pit covered with hatches attached to a lever
M=Zombie minotaur
The path between the covered pits is filled with wooden spear traps, so dodging is lethal.

So the minotaur came when it was still winter and my moat was frozen. The retracted bridge blocked its path to my fortress, so it decided to hang around on the ice just to the right of my bridge as illustrated above. Then the moat froze. The Zombie Minotaur didn't care, now it was just a wet Zombie Minotaur. Since it didn't seem to be causing any damage to my things, I just decided to let it stand there and wait for the moat to freeze again, that would take care of that. (Or a caravan... It would also take care of some migrants in the mean time ) It stood there for a few months, before something happened. It broke one of my hatch covers?!? (I have to point out that I am not entirely sure how accurate that "drawing" is. The bridge might start one tile lower and the trap setting continue one tile further) Also note that there is no ramp on that side of the moat, only to the other side. When this happened, I decided to lower the bridge, open the hatches and let the Wet Zombie Minotaur to fall to his death...

So my question is, how did the Zombie Minotaur reach the hatch cover? It was one level below it in 7 deep water, blocked by a raised bridge (I have to check if there is a diagonal leak in this). Is it possible for a Zombie Minotaur to learn how to swim by spending a few months standing in a moat?

[Saiko Kila]

1. Zombie Minotaurs can swim, just like most creatures. But most creatures don't like water. They can get out of water without ramp, if level is 7/7 or they can run to water which is say 5/7, while pursued by dwarves. Only most stupid animals, like dwarfs or goblins, can't swim before they learn it.
2. Hatch can be destroyed from below if there is access to it, like ramp, stairs or 7/7 water. Swimming animals can try it, if it is mechanized or locked (so they cannot pass) and there are no other choices, when water level reaches 7/7. If water level is 6/7 or lower they can't. But most swimming animals would drown before they'd damage the hatch - I tried that with trolls, who swim quite good. They cannot hold breath for long enough. Zombies, for reasons eluding science, cannot drown.

EDIT:
Just for reference: destroyers can also destroy other object through unlocked hatch, like this door:

Code: [Select]

LEVEL z+1

###
dh#
###


LEVEL z

###
#x#
###

d - door
h - hatch and up/down staircase
x - up/down staircase below hatch, destroyers stand here

Destroyers can destroy door on level z+1 while standing on level z on this tower, under hatch. That hatch must be passable. I use it to control flow of enemies - goblin pass the hatch going up the tower, while trolls stand here destroying door, and then hatch. Sometimes it doesn't work, and trolls go up to destroy another object.