Historical figure

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In world generation, due to memory constraints, most population numbers have to be treated abstractly. However, a small percentage of the population is treated explicitly, i.e. the game keeps track of all of their history. These people are called historical figures, or histfig for short.

Historical figures mainly relate to what is abstractly offloaded (i.e. forgotten) or explicitly tracked by the game. The game can't keep track of every single creature in the world, but it has to keep things interesting for your fortress, adventurer, or legends; as such, there are a number of rules that define who gets and who doesn't get to become a historical figure. These rules are mostly there to guarantee a consistency of gameplay experience, so that people you encounter don't suddenly disappear from the game as they are offloaded.

In world generation

In each site, a percentage of the actual population is tracked. This includes nobility and their entourage. Their family relationships, titles and heroic feats (e.g. kill lists) are stored for you to discover. All (semi-)megabeasts, unique demons, forgotten beasts, titans and other such [POWER] creatures are historical figures. Other "villaneous" creatures such as necromancers, vampires, werebeasts, night trolls, bosses of criminal organisations (along with all their families and other such relationships) are also historical figures. Likewise, animals that somehow become enemies of a civilization become historical figures.

In fortress mode

Your seven starting dwarves are generated ex nihilo, and so are the first two hardcoded migration waves. However, they become historical figures as they appear, and the game will keep track of them if you retire or abandon your fortress. All subsequent migrants are taken from actual histfig populations, as are visitors, diplomats, caravans and invaders. Wildlife is abstracted away, except if an animal gets a name for some reason (e.g. killing one of your dwarves), in which case they also become a historical figure.

In adventure mode

Your adventurer is generated ex nihilo, but they become a historical figure if you die or retire. Anyone with a name you encounter also becomes a historical figure if they weren't already. This includes companions, people you take quests from, people in your kill list and people you talk to.