The reclamation of the infamous fort Battlefailed proceeds apace. Upper, Lower, and Surface Battlefailed have all been secured, drained, and tidied up. The poisons have been cleared from Lower Battlefailed and a burrow has been established called "safe zone" that unshod dwarf children and animals are able to survive in. The magma workshop is online. The caverns are still crawling with Forgotten Beasts, however, and remain sealed off. The clothing of the founding seven is in tatters and will need to be replaced soon, with the clothing of subsequent arrivals beginning to fall apart afterward.

A goblin ambush just wiped out an Elven caravan on the surface and a few stragglers remain. Since I've been very cautious about changing dwarves into armor, there's currently little military to speak of - just a squad of unarmored crossbowdwarves. Take care when reopening the gates (the lever's in a bauxite office in Upper Battlefailed, and I've noticed a lever in Lower Battlefailed that may also operate the main gate). The traps at the main gatehouse are far from impassable so don't depend on them.