It is an invitation to the deep. Whether you find a vein of native gold or a hidden pocket of ancient demons, it all starts with that first pickaxe swing into the raw, undisturbed soil.
The moment you designate your first mining tile, you are breaking the seal of a silent world. "Striking the earth" is a chaotic gamble. You are digging for wealth, but the raw earth hides "fun" surprises:
Dwarves don't just live on the earth; they live in it. The raw, unrefined stone is the canvas for legendary engravings, the source of the statues that line your halls, and the material for the mechanisms that keep your traps snapping. To strike the earth is to assert that the mountain's interior is more valuable than its peak.
Massive underground lakes that can drown a fortress before the first bedroom is dug.