Of Mad Elves and Madder Dwarves

Behold, from humble beginnings arises the start of a great fortress. Seven dwarves stand on the shores of a great ocean, armed only with two picks, two axes, and a meager amount of food and booze. They must carve a fortress into the earth and sustain themselves for the glory of their kingdom.

 The dwarves immediately set out to gain self-sufficiency. Several large rooms are ordered to be dug into the soil just beneath the surface. In time, these rooms will become 400 tiles of pure farm, enough to supply even the largest fortress with food and drink twice over.

 The farm starts small, but looks good. A crop of plump helmets, the mushrooms that are the backbone of every dwarven diet, will be ready for harvest in a few short weeks.

 Meanwhile, the miners dig a 3x3 staircase deep into the stone, hoping to find valuable resources to build the fortress. Eventually, iron is discovered. Glorious, glorious iron. Iron means swords and armor and traps, the three things that are absolutely necessary for a fortress to survive a goblin siege or ambush.

 After basic industries are set up, construction begins on a trap-filled entrance to the fortress. Stone is hauled from deep underground and formed into a large structure. Halls will soon be constructed and filled with traps, and a drawbridge will be installed to block off the fortress in the event of attack.

Elven traders come to the fortress, bearing exotic animals and fine cloth. The elves are a fickle bunch, refusing all products at all related to wood. The dwarves are uneasy, but welcome trade.

Goblins attack! A small ambush of five, perhaps six goblin warriors spring out of nowhere and attack the fortress. The drawbridge is raised as the dwarves hurry to complete the trap-hall. Six goblins is not a threat to a thriving, powerful fortress, but this one is weak. Its army has yet to be established due to the slowness of the metal industry, and there are no traps to defend from invaders.

Tragedy strikes! A wave of migrants, hopeful new immigrants to the fortress, enter the map and attempt to enter. The drawbridge cannot be lowered, the goblins cannot be allowed inside. The migrants die outside, slain one by one by the small band of goblins.

Eventually, the goblins grow bored and leave, but the damage is done. The elven traders trapped inside the fortress have gone mad, likely from the high amounts of testosterone and badassery contained within every dwarf fortress, and their horses have kicked in the skulls of three incredibly social dwarves. Everyone takes their deaths hard, some harder than most. A particularly strong dwarf throws a tantrum, and punches his wife's skull in. Her death drives more people into a blind rage, and eventually the entire fortress is reduced to a screaming crying pile of blood and tears and broken bone.

Typical.