Forgotten Beasts

[[File:Thol_zps21043ef4.png|thumb|300px|

Thol was a forgotten Beast. A gigantic skinless bison twisted into humanoid form. It undulates rhythmically. Beware its poison gas!]]Forgotten Beasts are a type of mega beast in the video game Dwarf Fortress, serving as the subterranean equivalent of Titans. Each forgotten beast is unique from one another, with the game describing them when they are first unearthed within a fortress.

Appearance
Each Forgotten Beast is unique in appearance, determined by the game at the generation of a new world. Like Titans, their appearance is determined by three factors - Material Composition, Body Shape and Movement.

Material Composition

 * Water, Grime, Filth, Salt, Steam, Smoke, Snow - The Forgotten Beast is composed of either liquid or powder, and as such is incredibly fragile and poses very little threat.
 * Fire - The Forgotten Beast's body is wreathed in flames. Whilst still fragile, it is much more dangerous, able to burn anything that gets too close to it.
 * Flesh - The Forgotten Beast is made of flesh, no different from the average dwarf.
 * Rock, Mineral or Non-Weapon Grade Metal- The Forgotten Beast's body is composed of some kind of rock, mineral or metal, making it much more durable than normal. However, most weapons-grade metals can still defeat the creature, allowing the military to deal with it where the average dwarf can not.
 * Glass or Gem - Slightly tougher than rock, mineral or metal Forgotten Beasts, these Forgotten Beasts can be handled with a well-equipped military presence.
 * Copper or Silver - The Forgotten Beast's body is made of silver or copper, making it immune to anything weaker than bronze.
 * Bronze - The Forgotten Beast's body is made of bronze, making it immune to anything weaker than iron.
 * Iron - The Forgotten Beast's body is made of iron, making it immune to anything weaker than steel.
 * Steel - The Forgotten Beast's body is made of steel, making it immune to mosty threats. Nothing short of a cave-in, falling traps, obsidian or ice traps, or adamantine weapons can hurt them.

Body Shape

 * Blob - The Forgotten Beastis an amorphous blob of flesh, or whatever material constitutes it's body. In the case of flesh, this is a very minor threat, as the creature only has one major body part for which to be targetted. However, non-organic blobs can provide some threat, with metal ones being considered by fans of Dwarf Fortress as a sign that the game hates the player.
 * Quadruped/Humanoid - The average for a Forgotten Beast. It has either two or four legs, each of which can be cut off to cripple them.
 * Insect/Spider - The Forgotten Beast has at least six limbs, the majority of which will be redundant. In addition, most spider-type Forgotten Beasts will also be able to use web-based attacks on visible dwarves.

Movement

 * Walking - The Forgotten Beast can only walk.
 * Flying - The Forgotten Beast can fly, and most likely has wings on top of whatever changes the body shape and material composition determines.

Abilities

 * Strength - Due to their size, Forgotten Beasts are incredibly powerful. Despite only having a push attack, the average blob is still strong enough to cripple, if not kill a dwarf in one shove.
 * Flight - Flying Forgotten Beasts, as their name suggests, possess the ability to fly.
 * Noxious Secretions -  Every single part of the creature's body is covered in extract. If it's in liquid or solid form and any dwarf touches this extract, they will receive one of the game's syndrome effects, detailed here. If the secretions are in gas form, the Forgotten Beast effectively has a toxic breath attack that is still effective even if it is somehow caged.
 * Hunger for Warm Blood - The Forgotten Beast's attacks are capable of drawing blood. Additionally, it can sense any living creature through walls and other solid objects by their blood.
 * Poisonous bite or sting - The Forgotten Beast is capable of poisoning any creature they attack, either by their bite or via some form of stinger. However, due to the immense strength of Forgotten Beasts, this is generally wasted on something not the same size as themselves.
 * Spitting glob -The Forgotten Beast is capable of launching a glob of poisonous spittle at would-be attackers. Whilst it can be dangerous, it can easily be avoided with the use of shields.
 * Fire breath - The Forgotten Beast is capable of breathing fire or launching fire balls. Much like the spitting globs, fire breath can be avoided by the use of shields. However, fire generally spreads, allowing the Forgotten Beast to burn down a fortress and any worker dwarves inside, even as the swordsdwarves avoid the flames themselves. Forgotten Fire Beasts generally have this by default.
 * Toxic blood, vapor, or gas - Either the Forgotten Beast or its blood is infused with some kind of toxic chemical. Upon contact with the blood or breathing in the vapors/gas, a dwarf will succumb to one of the game's syndromes.
 * Webs - The Forgotten Beast is capable of launching webs at attackers. Whilst a ranged attack, it is more effective in melee, capable of holding down foes whilst the Forgotten Beast tears into them. Spider Forgotten Beasts, with the exception of Tarantulas, generally have this by default.
 * Deadly dust - A cloud of dust surrounds the Forgotten Beast. This dust behaves much like the dust spread by a cave-in, except with the addition of one of the game's syndromes, sending dwarves flying and applying some kind of effect that could possibly kill them before the Forgotten Beast even gets close enough to attack. If the material of the Forgotten Beast is composed of flesh or a weaker material and it is not a blob, or if it has articulations or organs to be damaged, it will harm itself with its own dust. However, if it is made of stronger material, such as rock or metal, it can safely ignore this effect.