Kaenneth, I will tell you of my prison fortress. It was a complex spanning 70 lvls. The first entrance was part of the sky hold, a ramp extending from the ground harvesters to the internal levels. At the first fork past the depot, one entrance way led to the civilian levels. The other led to a 3 tile winding corridor, that could be shut down by 6 raisable bridges. Closing the first bridges blocked the straight path through, diverting the route through the last internal trap corridor. This was also where the barracks were placed.
Stairways and passage ways extended further, until you reached my monument to Dwarfdom. A bridge, complete with grand arches in a cavernous expanse. It had a 30z lvl drop, and was covered in traps, and was fortified with a ballistae battery. In the centre 3 pairs of raisable bridges and 1 pair of retractable bridges guarded all attempts of escape by foot as well. The second gate house was constantly patrolled by marksdwarves, which had an internal entrance from the barracks keep.
3x3x3 cells extended on for 10 rows each, branching down 8 rows surrounded by masterwork statues, each individually selected for their grim or historical depictions. Each of these cells were deliberately furnished to be as nice as possible-they were the Dwarf cells, where the unhappy and the downtrodden were rehabilitated into functional society. Each section was locked under an airlock door system operated by mechanisms, and had their own water piping that was fed from the level above. The pipes were secured with mechanism operated hatches as well, which meant I could drain the water below with ease, add water (and drown the occupants if wanted), and shower the Dwarves at will.
Further, was a section few ventured, where I kept my exotic beasts and valued dignitaries. An Elf Druid and a Goblin Law giver amongst them.
Further still, only guards were permitted to go. A series of passage ways that allowed me to control where everything went. One tunnel led to the execution pits, where I dropped occupants onto large serrated discs from 10z lvls away, which meant those not instantly killed by the fall spent eternity being shredded to pieces.
Another two led to the converse chamber, where I could introduce inmates to each other, or to the guard.
A favourite of mine were the firing squad room, or magma spike. Inmates were placed in 1x5 room, fortifications on one wall, and taken out with steel bolts. The steel bolts were melted down and turned into more bolts. The magma spike was a steel menacing spike placed in magma. Inmates were dropped from a retractable bridge, and landed on the spike. The magma did the rest.
The last led to the Colosseum, fit with a skylight and gem windows!
It was a circular auditorium, only 450 Urist tiles in Diameter, not the largest Colosseum built by far. But it ran with a system of pillars, with a shallow pool at the bottom. Each pillar was 3z lvls high, 2 zlvls above the water. Here they fought whilst the Dwarves dined.
My only regret is I couldn't find a way to successfully remove my guard's eyes out without it being lethal like my other forts...
Because then it would bring even more meaning when they said;
Remember. Remember the Overseer.
REMEMBER THE OVERSEER IS ALWAYS WATCHING.