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[Skullkid]

Hello ! I was digging down z-levels to find me some layers susceptible of holding iron, and then found a massive cavern. I bypassed by resetting my digging trajectory, but found myself with a staircase leading directly to my fortress. Worried that some one-eyed flying fire-breathing racoon comes from it, I tried putting a floor over it, removing stairs etc, and now I've lost three dwarfs, stuck downstairs (and I still don't know if it's safe).

How can I block a stairway efficiently ?

Thanks !

[NonconsensualSurgery]

A drawbridge or hatch covers should help. Forbid the hatch covers or lower the bridge over the stairs to lock.

However, what you really want to do is to find a way to dispose of one-eyed firebreathing raccoons. Keeping in mind that bridges cannot be destroyed by a monster that is beneath them and that bridges will not crush forgotten beasts like they crush most things, devise a haveaheart trap. Forgotten beasts are intensely attracted to wooden doors, defective statues and coffins that only contain pets.

Then, flood the haveaheart with magma or goblins.

[Nan]

Construct an upstairs over the up/down stairs. A constructed upstairs will seal off the downstairs.

[Psilobe]

where you put the floor dig a tunnel a few blocks in one direction, staircase down, dig tunnel to your dwarfs now place a wall over the new staircase.

XxxxxxxD
X        X
XxxxxxxU

Sideview here, the large Xs are your current staircase, dig like this and rescue dwarfs and then place wall at the D.

[Skullkid]

Thanks for all the ideas. I will now watch in horror as my dwarves take everything from their comrade's lifeless bodies before finally giving them a proper burial. When they stink.

Edit : BTW, to find iron I'm digging straight down until I find a layer associated with iron. Is it a good way, or should I dig on the same z-level as well in case there is another different layer on the same level ?

[Neowulf]

Exploratory digging is a must, you could have already missed a huge vein by 1 tile.

[Skullkid]

Right. Wish I had done that before. I dug too deep, found adamantine, got all excited, and saw my unarmed 40 dwarves get massacred in less than 30 seconds real time. Losing is fun, but can sometimes be frustrating.

[Neowulf]

It's a learnin experience. Now you know to send out exploratory shafts every Z level. to see what you have.
Start shallow, at the first z-level you don't plan on using for your fortress living area, then continue down. That way when you find the first cavern you can easily map it out by channeling through the roof and closing off the holes with constructed floors.

You'll get a lot of trash stone, but that's what stonecrafters and trade caravans are for.

[Skullkid]

Send out exploratory shafts ?

[Teneb]

Send out exploratory shafts ?

BEHOLD!

[Neowulf]

Send out exploratory shafts ?

BEHOLD!

^This.
Start with the 15x15, it'll get you what you need.