Curate, connect, and discover
Other tidbit is that even though dwarves are capable of forging steel, they’re only capable of that if they’re in a Dwarven civilization. Weirdly enough, a Goblin immigrant living in a Dwarven fort with full citizenship is completely capable of forging steel. As are Dwarven elves capable of felling trees. This isn’t exactly impossible to have them migrate into your fortress, but tends not to occur unless something odd has occurred in worldgen/history. The real strength of Dwarven soldiers in Goblin armies isn’t their size (the armor is interchangeable between goblins, elves and dwarves), but it is Martial Trances. Humans, Elves and Goblins in a siege do not worry me, but a Goblin Dwarf? They frighten me more than any other member of that group. The power of a martial trance is not to be ignored. I watched an axe dwarf with next to no armor enter a martial trance, and hack three goblin archers to pieces before the rest of the military could arrive from only a hallway away. He didn’t take a single blow
Thinking about kidnapped Dwarfs in Dwarf Fortress again.
Goblins can kidnap dwarvern children. It's not known why they do this, but they can.
What's stranger is that the goblins don't do anything nefarious with the children. They just appear to raise them.
Common theories range from amusing (they're saving the children from the horrors of Dwarf Fortresses) to reasonable (dwarfs are bigger and stronger than goblins on average, they can be used as metalssmiths or warriors)
What's probably most striking from the player's perspective is that adult dwarves that have been raised by goblin civilizations can join their raids and sieges of your fort.
Nothing appears to be forcing them to do this.
Imagine growing up with goblins, learning the goblin language, worshipping their gods and observing their customs.
You know you're different, the other children make that clear enough, but your belly is full in the summers and just as empty as anyone else's in the cold.
When you grow, you're a full two heads taller than anyone else. They try to put you to work in the forge, they think you should be good at it, you dont understand why. You're not. Your fingers fumble over the steel, you drop the tongs, you burn yourself on the flames.
You've let your family down, you're ashamed.
They put an axe in your hand, you start felling trees. It's easy for you. They send little hauling squads with you to collect the lumber, you free up half a dozen workers. Your family is proud of you, you're proud of yourself.
A set of armour is smithed for you, you don't need to put your name on it, no one else could wear it.
Suddenly, you're drilling, but it's no problem, people salute you in the hallways, you get choice rations with the other warriors. You're respected. It took you some time, but you've found a place in your home.
You keep shaving your beard out of habit.
Now your squad hauls back jewels, instruments, and armour that even you couldn't fit into.
One day you hit a hole in the ground. Defended by walls and traps your brethren fall to hidden blades and arrows. By the time you breach the dining hall, you've taken serious casualties.
In front of you is a hall of shrouded mirrors, they don't recognize you in your full helm, you don't even know what they are.
Your mother doesn't even recognize you as she cleaves your head in half.
You're laid to rest in the refuse pile, outside the fort with your brothers.