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[kafine]

So I joined to ask about a problem I've been having today (since the last update).

I have some exterior wall sections that are not linked to anything and not accesible from the ground. But I keep finding random dwarves standing on them. I have no idea how they are getting up there. I first was alerted to it when I got "so-and-so has died of thirst", and there was a dead mason and his former pet turkey. Now that I know to check up there for stray dwarves, nobody else has died. But I'm very curious as to why it's happening and if it can be prevented.

Here's the latest victim; (and the turkey) you can see where I put in ramps to save dwarves I found up there before.

[nil]

I've still yet to see this happen as it occurs or understand why, but I've noticed it after-the-fact repeatedly, going all the way back to 40d.  I strongly suspect it has to do with flying pets, as I only experienced it in 40d in a CivForge game that had vermin-catching (and therefore ubiquitous) fliers, where it happened fairly often.  Since 2010, I've noticed it occasionally but less often, which jives with the presence but relative rarity of flying pets in this version (or, at least, in .01-.19).

[blue emu]

Is that an Archery tower? What happens when a Dwarf at the top of the tower dodges an enemy crossbow bolt? Doesn't he have a random chance of going over the edge, and peraps landing on the top of that wall?

[kafine]

Yes, that's theoretically a way for them to get there, since the top of the tower is open. However that would beg the question of why the civillians were up there during the attack.

[Starver]

Not too familiar with that tile-set, are those two "v" triangles signs of ramps?  (I assume the other small blobs are "stones on the natural ground" representations).  If you ever had (for whatever reason) ramp access, but since cut them off, that would explain it. 

Although I'm convinced I'm wrong, posting on the off-chance anyway.

[kafine]

Yeah, the triangles are the ramps. But up untill people started getting trapped up there, there had never been ramp access. It's only one level of wall, so there was no need.

[TerryDactyl]

Usually happens when masons stand on the wrong side of a wall they're building, and cut themselves off from getting back down. It's a bloody pain. Masons have a preference to stand on a particular side of or angle to a construction in progress, and it helps to know the order.

[kafine]

That's not what could have happened, unless the mason can stand on the upward side of a wall he's building and get raised up by it. It's only one level of wall and it's not connected to anything. Nobody was ever up there except these trapped guys who appeared there.

[Fredd]

Hmmm, maybe a poltergeist may be up to no good. Any deaths lately, you did/could not bury a corpse. A ghost in one fort kept putting pets atop a building

[kafine]

Hm!

I didn't know that could happen. I thought I caught and memorialised everyone who drowned, but it's possible I missed someone. I'll look into it!

[Brian]

Delightful imagery here--what happens if a sapling just happens to grow into a tree while a dwarf is standing over it?

Bust out the preparation H?

[GhostDwemer]

The key to this conundrum is the pet turkey. I've seen it with a fisherdwarf and a pet duck, posted a few days ago, someone said it was flying pets launching dwarfs onto the walls. And here you are with the same problem, and q pet turkey, so I'm guessing that is it. My fishing spot was right next to the wall, your mason was probably next to the wall. The pet can definitely fly onto the wall, I've seen that separately. Maybe when dwarf and pet are on the same tile and the pet decides to fly onto the wall, the dwarf goes with him.

[nil]

The key to this conundrum is the pet turkey. I've seen it with a fisherdwarf and a pet duck, posted a few days ago, someone said it was flying pets launching dwarfs onto the walls. And here you are with the same problem, and q pet turkey, so I'm guessing that is it. My fishing spot was right next to the wall, your mason was probably next to the wall. The pet can definitely fly onto the wall, I've seen that separately. Maybe when dwarf and pet are on the same tile and the pet decides to fly onto the wall, the dwarf goes with him.

I think this is exactly what is happening.  Someone should try to test it!

[kafine]

The key to this conundrum is the pet turkey. I've seen it with a fisherdwarf and a pet duck, posted a few days ago, someone said it was flying pets launching dwarfs onto the walls. And here you are with the same problem, and q pet turkey, so I'm guessing that is it. My fishing spot was right next to the wall, your mason was probably next to the wall. The pet can definitely fly onto the wall, I've seen that separately. Maybe when dwarf and pet are on the same tile and the pet decides to fly onto the wall, the dwarf goes with him.

That sounds very likely, actually. There's a bird pen just below, and now that I'm checking those walls for stray dwarves, I'm noticing that the birds are up there by themselves occasionally too. Sounds very plausible, thankyou!

I guess I'll just stick a couple more ramps in so they can get down without me checking.

[Fredd]

Delightful imagery here--what happens if a sapling just happens to grow into a tree while a dwarf is standing over it?

Bust out the preparation H?

  Hope P.H. helps the ghost that did this