Halda Fenn, the Ledger-Blade

Level 1 Dwarf Fighter

Available with DM subscription
STR
15 (+2)
DEX
12 (+1)
CON
16 (+3)
INT
13 (+1)
WIS
11
CHA
8 (-1)

Defense

Armor Class 16 (Chain mail)
Hit Points 13 (1d10 + Constitution modifier + Dwarven Toughness +3)
Speed 25 ft.

Proficiencies & Skills

Saving Throws strength, constitution
Skills History +3, Athletics +4, Intimidation +1, Investigation +3

Features

Ledger-Blade (Custom)

Custom — campaign tie in Level 1

Years of copying debts and checking tallies have made Halda a meticulous reader of records. Once per day, when she spends at least 10 minutes examining a ledger, tally-book, contract or set of records, the GM may treat her next Intelligence (Investigation) check against those records as having Advantage, or reveal one concrete discrepancy directly.

Weapon Masteries

Fighter Level 1

Halda can use Push (Maul) and Nick (Handaxe). Push: when she hits with the maul, she can push the target up to 10 feet away from her. Nick: when she makes the extra attack of the Light property with the handaxe, she can make it as part of the Attack action instead of a Bonus Action.

Stonecunning

Dwarf Level 1

As a Bonus Action, Halda gains Tremorsense with a range of 60 feet for 10 minutes. She can use this Bonus Action a number of times equal to her Proficiency Bonus (2), and she regains all expended uses when she finishes a Short or Long Rest.

Fighting Style: Great Weapon Fighting

Fighter Level 1

When Halda rolls a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack she makes with a melee weapon she wields in two hands, she can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or 2. Applies to her maul.

Soldier (Background): Military Rank

Soldier Level 1

Halda's tally-work and her father's name earn her grudging respect from laborers, caravan guards and Warden foot-soldiers on the Sixth Ring. She can invoke a rank or reputation to gain influence with such folk.

Darkvision

Dwarf Level 1

Halda can see in dim light within 60 feet of herself as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. She discerns colors in that darkness only as shades of grey.

Second Wind

Fighter Level 1
Bonus action; 2 per Short or Long Rest

Halda can use a Bonus Action to regain 1d10 + 1 (Fighter level) hit points. She regains all expended uses when she finishes a Short or Long Rest.

Dwarven Resilience

Dwarf Level 1

Halda has Advantage on saving throws she makes to avoid or end the Poisoned condition, and she has Resistance to Poison damage.

Dwarven Toughness

Dwarf Level 1

Halda's Hit Point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 again whenever she gains a level.

Behind the character

Character Information

Halda Fenn, the Ledger-Blade, is a stocky, broad-shouldered dwarf woman of thirty-odd years, a Fighter of the Sixth Ring's Tally Reaches and a soldier by trade and by temperament. She wears a battered soldier's coat over a suit of chain mail, a heavy maul slung across her back and a handaxe at her belt, and her father's old tally-hammer — a mason's maul with a worn brass head — rests in her grip, its handle wrapped in ledger-ribbon.

Her dark hair is braided tight and streaked with early grey, her brown eyes are sharp and unimpressed, and ink stains her left hand from a lifetime of copying debts into a notebook that hangs from her belt beside a leather thong of brass tallies. She is blunt, methodical and slow to trust, keeping a written tally of every promise made to her and expecting the same in return, but she has a dry, sudden laugh that surprises people who have only seen her working.

Her driving goal is to clear her father's name, find where he went after he left Tallymarket twelve years ago, and prove that the town's ledger has been lying ever since.

Before the adventure

Character Background

Halda was born in Tallymarket, a timber town of some four hundred people on the Sixth Ring, where her father Orrin Fenn was the town's bolt-wright — the man who kept the great key-bolts that held the town's Sliver to the ring. Halda grew up in the back room of the Weighed Anchor, the only inn in town, watching her father work and learning to count everything: grain, bolts, days, debts. When she was young, her father taught her that counting is how you know a Sliver is still keyed, and that a tally is a promise written down. She took the lesson literally, and she has never unlearned it.

Twelve years ago, a tally went missing from the Tally-House — a bolt-tally, the record of a key-frequency that Orrin himself had set. The town blamed him. A complaint was signed by eleven townsfolk, the debt-roll carried his name, and Orrin Fenn left on the north road and never came back. Halda was left with a mason's maul, a notebook, and the conviction that the ledger was wrong. She grew up swinging the maul by day and copying debts by night, and she learned to read a ledger the way other people read faces — for the lie underneath the numbers.

She left Tallymarket as soon as she was old enough to carry a soldier's coat, and she served on the Sixth Ring as a Fighter, where her tally-work and her father's name earned her grudging respect from Warden foot-soldiers and caravan guards. She learned to fight with a maul in two hands and a handaxe in reserve, and she learned that a written record is the only weapon that cannot be taken away from her. She kept the list of everyone who signed the complaint against her father, and she kept the notebook, and she waited.

She came home to the Tally Reaches the week the town of Tallymarket lurched two fingers to the north, carrying her father's old tally-hammer and a list of names. The floor of the tally-house was still ringing like a struck bell, and the town's key-ledger was lying again. Halda Fenn, the Ledger-Blade, intends to find out who has been lying, for how long, and why — and she intends to write it down.

Threads to follow

Unresolved Plots

  • Orrin Fenn left Tallymarket on the north road twelve years ago and never came back; Halda does not know whether he is alive, where he went, or why he never sent word.
  • The Concord warehouse receipt proves the bolt's key-frequency was sold to a buyer whose mark is a Concord tally — but it does not say who the buyer was working for, or whether the Ratchet Crew was involved twelve years ago.
  • Marnie Tallow has been falsifying Tallymarket's key-ledger for a month to hide how far the Sliver has drifted, and someone told her to; Halda does not know who, or whether Marnie is acting alone.
  • The tally-hammer's brass head is worn from twelve years of use before Halda inherited it, and the wear pattern does not match mason's work — someone was using it for something else.
  • Halda's notebook contains a list of everyone who signed the complaint against her father, and one of the signatures is not a name she recognises — the handwriting matches no one in Tallymarket.

Beneath the surface

Secrets

  • Halda keeps a written tally of every promise made to her, and there is a promise in it that she has never told anyone about — a promise made to her father the night before he left, that she would not follow him.
  • Halda can read the old ledger page that blamed her father, and she has noticed that the ink used for the bolt-tally entry is different from the ink used for the rest of the page — someone added the entry after the page was written.
  • Halda has been copying debts into a notebook since she was a child, and some of the debts in it are not debts at all — they are coded notes her father left her, which she has never been able to decipher.

What haunts them

Fears

  • Halda fears that her father left because of her — that something she did or said twelve years ago is the reason he never came back.
  • Halda fears that the ledger is right — that her father really did lose the bolt-tally, and that clearing his name means proving the town's system failed rather than that he was innocent.
  • Halda fears the Deep Mist, not because of what it is, but because it is the one thing in the world that cannot be counted.

What drives them

Aspirations

  • Halda wants to find her father and ask him why he left, and whether he wants to come home.
  • Halda wants to be the kind of person whose word does not need a written tally behind it — someone the town trusts the way it trusted the ledger, before the ledger lied.
  • Halda wants to re-forge her father's tally-hammer into something that matters, whether as a Warden's weapon, a saboteur's tool, or a mason's legacy, and to be remembered for what she chose.

Personal quest · 1

The Missing Tally

Halda must get Marnie Tallow to open the old ledger in front of witnesses, then prove what actually happened: the bolt's key-frequency was sold, not lost, and the buyer's mark is a Concord tally. The proof is in three places — the old ledger page in the Tally-House, the anchor-tree's growth rings in the Brass Orchard, and a Concord warehouse receipt held by Grenna Ost.

Current Stage

Confront Marnie Tallow about the falsified key-ledger and the twelve-year-old page that blamed Orrin Fenn.

Choice
Press Marnie publicly in the market square or privately in her office.
Public confrontation forces Marnie to either confess or dig in; private confrontation risks her destroying the page.
Alternative
Show Marnie the anchor-tree's growth rings first or demand she open the old ledger first.
The growth rings are the harder proof but require a trip to the Brass Orchard; the old ledger page is easier but Marnie can claim it was misfiled.
Alternative
Trade Grenna Ost the Concord warehouse receipt for a favour or threaten her for it.
Grenna will trade the receipt for a favour or a threat; the favour could be dangerous, the threat could backfire.
Alternative
Decide whether to expose the Concord buyer's name publicly or keep it quiet for leverage.
Exposing it publicly clears her father's name but tips off the Ratchet Crew; keeping it quiet gives leverage over the Concord but leaves the town's trust in the ledger damaged.
Alternative
Decide what to do with the falsified entries Marnie has been making for a month.
The entries hide how far the Sliver has drifted; exposing them forces the town to face the truth but risks panic.
Alternative
Decide whether to pursue the road her father took immediately or finish the campaign's other threads first.
Orrin Fenn left on the north road twelve years ago and never came back; the road may lead to him, or to his fate.
Mechanical Rewards
  • The debt-roll is struck of Orrin Fenn's name, giving Halda +2 reputation with Tallymarket and the town's tally-workers.
  • Halda gains a Concord warehouse receipt as evidence, which can be used as leverage in future negotiations with the Sliver Concord.
  • Halda learns which road her father took, unlocking a personal quest thread that can be pursued in downtime or future sessions.
Narrative Rewards
  • Orrin Fenn's name is cleared in the town's records, restoring Halda's family honour.
  • Marnie Tallow tells Halda which road her father took, giving her closure or a new lead.
  • The town's tally-workers begin to respect Halda as her father's daughter, not just as a soldier.

Personal quest · 2

The Twelve-Year Debt

The complaint against Orrin Fenn was signed by eleven townsfolk. Halda has their names in her notebook. She must decide whether to confront each signer, forgive them, or use their signatures as leverage.

Current Stage

Track down the eleven signers and decide what to say to each.

Choice
Confront them with the truth, forgive them quietly, or demand a public retraction.
Each signer has a different story — some were pressured, some genuinely believed the tally, some profited from Orrin's exile.
Alternative
Decide whether to forgive the signers who were pressured or hold them accountable.
Some signers were pressured by Marnie Tallow or by the Keywardens; others genuinely believed the tally.
Alternative
Decide whether to use the signatures as leverage against Marnie Tallow or against the Keywardens.
The signatures prove the town's complicity in the lie; they could be used to pressure Marnie or to expose the Keywardens' role.
Alternative
Decide whether to keep the list of signers or burn it after the debt is settled.
The list is a record of the town's betrayal; keeping it means Halda never forgets, burning it means she lets go.
Alternative
Decide whether to tell her father's story to the town or keep it private.
Telling the story publicly restores Orrin's name but opens Halda to scrutiny; keeping it private protects her but leaves the town's lie intact.
Mechanical Rewards
  • Halda gains a permanent +1 on Charisma (Intimidation) or Charisma (Persuasion) checks depending on her choice.
  • Halda gains the loyalty or enmity of up to eleven townsfolk, which can be called upon in future sessions.
  • Halda gains leverage over Marnie Tallow or Warden-Commander Sela Brant, depending on how she uses the signatures.
Narrative Rewards
  • Halda confronts the people who destroyed her father's life and decides what kind of person she wants to be.
  • The town's lie is exposed or quietly buried, depending on Halda's choice.
  • Halda's notebook becomes a record of the town's debt to her family, or a page she burns to move on.

Personal quest · 3

The Ledger and the Blade

Halda's tally-hammer was her father's mason's maul. She must decide whether to have it re-forged as a weapon of the Keywardens, as a tool of the Ratchet Crew, or keep it as her father's tool.

Current Stage

Find a smith who can re-forge the tally-hammer and decide what it should become.

Choice
Have it re-forged by the Keywardens as a Warden's maul, by the Ratchet Crew as a saboteur's tool, or keep it as her father's mason's maul.
Each choice binds Halda to a faction and changes what the hammer means to her.
Alternative
Decide whether to tell the smith about her father or let the hammer speak for itself.
The smith's reaction to Orrin's story may open doors or close them.
Alternative
Decide whether to carry the hammer openly or conceal it.
The hammer is a symbol of her father's trade and her own; carrying it openly invites questions, concealing it invites suspicion.
Alternative
Decide whether to use the hammer to re-key a bolt or to unkey one, if the opportunity arises.
The hammer is a tool of the Engine's machinery; using it to re-key or unkey a bolt is a choice about what Halda believes the Engine should be.
Alternative
Decide whether to pass the hammer on to someone else if she finds a better weapon.
The hammer is her father's legacy; passing it on means letting go of it, keeping it means carrying his weight.
Mechanical Rewards
  • The tally-hammer becomes a +1 weapon (if re-forged by the Keywardens) or gains the ability to unkey a bolt once per day (if re-forged by the Ratchet Crew), or gains Advantage on mason's tools checks (if kept as her father's maul).
  • Halda gains a permanent +1 on Charisma (Intimidation) or Stealth checks depending on how she carries the hammer.
  • Halda gains a permanent +1 on checks to re-seat key-bolts or to plant and remove wedges, depending on how she uses the hammer.
Narrative Rewards
  • Halda's father's tool becomes her own, and she decides what it means.
  • Halda's choice binds her to a faction or keeps her independent, which shapes her relationships for the rest of the campaign.
  • The hammer becomes a symbol that others recognise, whether as a Warden's mark, a saboteur's tool, or a mason's legacy.

Major Decision

Context

During the quest 'The Missing Tally', Halda must decide whether to expose the Concord buyer's name publicly or keep it quiet for leverage.

Choice Made
Expose publicly or keep quiet.
Impact

Public exposure clears her father's name but tips off the Ratchet Crew; keeping it quiet gives leverage but leaves the town's trust in the ledger damaged.

Major Decision

Context

During the quest 'The Twelve-Year Debt', Halda must decide whether to forgive the signers who were pressured or hold them accountable.

Choice Made
Forgive or hold accountable.
Impact

Forgiving gives her allies and testimony against Marnie; holding accountable gives public vindication but makes enemies.

Major Decision

Context

During the quest 'The Ledger and the Blade', Halda must decide whether to have her father's tally-hammer re-forged by the Keywardens, by the Ratchet Crew, or keep it as her father's mason's maul.

Choice Made
Keywarden re-forging, Ratchet Crew re-forging, or keep it as is.
Impact

Each choice binds Halda to a faction or keeps her independent, and changes the hammer's mechanical properties.

Transformative Moment

Trigger

Reading the old ledger page that blamed her father.

Transformation

Halda's slow trust becomes a hard edge; she stops giving people the benefit of the doubt until they have earned it in writing.

Mechanical Changes

Charisma (Intimidation)

+1

Halda learns to use her father's disgrace as a weapon.
Investigation

+1 proficiency die on checks against written records

Halda's obsession with the ledger sharpens her eye for discrepancies.

Transformative Moment

Trigger

Striking Orrin Fenn's name from the debt-roll.

Transformation

Halda's driving goal shifts from clearing her father's name to finding him, and she begins to wonder whether he wants to be found.

Mechanical Changes

Reputation

+2 with Tallymarket

The town sees Halda as her father's daughter, vindicated.
Inspiration

Halda gains Inspiration

The DM awards Inspiration for resolving a major personal thread.

Transformative Moment

Trigger

Re-forging the tally-hammer.

Transformation

Halda's weapon becomes an extension of her choice about who she is — a Warden, a saboteur, or her father's daughter.

Mechanical Changes

Maul (tally-hammer)

+1 to hit and damage, or the ability to unkey a bolt once per day, or Advantage on mason's tools checks

The hammer's form reflects Halda's chosen identity.
Faction standing

Halda gains or loses standing with the Keywardens or the Ratchet Crew

The hammer's re-forging is a public declaration of allegiance or independence.

Ally

Marnie Tallow

Relationship Uneasy ally
Influence 3/10
Loyalty 5/10

Shared History

Marnie Tallow has kept Tallymarket's key-ledger for forty years, and twelve years ago she signed or permitted the page that blamed Orrin Fenn for a missing bolt-tally. Halda grew up in the back room of the Weighed Anchor while Marnie ran the tally-house, and the two have known each other since Halda was a child. Marnie has been falsifying the key-ledger for a month to hide how far the Sliver has drifted, and her false entries sit on top of the twelve-year-old page that ruined Halda's father.

Halda came back to Tallymarket carrying her father's tally-hammer and a list of everyone who signed the complaint against him, and Marnie is the first person she went to see.

Potential Breaking Points

  • If Halda exposes Marnie's falsified entries publicly, Marnie may destroy the old ledger page out of spite.
  • If Halda uses the signatures of the complaint as leverage against her, Marnie may deny everything and claim the page was misfiled.
  • If Marnie believes Halda will ruin her, she may flee Tallymarket with the old ledger before Halda can prove anything.

Enemy

Grenna Ost

Threat Level 2/10
Conflict Type Rivalry over information and leverage

Personal Stakes

Grenna Ost is the Sliver Concord's salvage broker in Tallymarket, and she holds a Concord warehouse receipt that proves the bolt's key-frequency was sold, not lost — the receipt is the final piece of proof that Halda's father was innocent. Grenna will trade the receipt for a favour or a threat, and she knows exactly what it is worth. Halda needs the receipt to clear her father's name; Grenna needs Halda to owe her a favour, because the Concord is quietly moving goods off the Sixth Ring and Grenna needs someone who can protect her warehouse when the town starts asking questions. Halda came back to Tallymarket with a list of names and a hammer, and Grenna is the kind of woman who respects both.

Possible Resolutions

  • Trade Grenna a favour — escort her crates, protect her warehouse, or find her a buyer she cannot refuse.
  • Threaten Grenna with exposure of the Concord's complicity in the Ratchet Crew's sabotage.
  • Prove to Grenna that the Concord's buyer is the Ratchet Crew, making the receipt worthless to her and dangerous to keep.

Faction

The Keywardens of the Grand Cage

Standing 2/10

Influence

Halda is a soldier by background, and the Keywardens respect soldiers even when they do not trust them. Her tally-work and her father's name earn her grudging respect from Warden foot-soldiers on the Sixth Ring, and she can invoke a rank or reputation to gain influence with such folk. Warden-Commander Sela Brant will grant Halda a Warden's pass if she exposes the traitor in the Bastion, and the pass opens doors across the Sixth Ring.

But the Keywardens have been losing Slivers for a decade and telling no one, and Halda's father was ruined by a tally that the Keywardens' own system permitted. Halda's relationship with the Keywardens is therefore one of usefulness and distrust in equal measure.

Obligations

  • If Halda accepts a Warden's pass, she is expected to report what she finds to Warden-Commander Sela Brant.
  • If Halda has the tally-hammer re-forged by the Keywardens, she is expected to carry the Warden's mark openly.

Benefits

  • Access to Warden checkpoints and the Warden Bastion's stores.
  • Grudging respect from Warden foot-soldiers, which can be invoked for influence.
  • A place on the freight-lift down to the Fourth Ring.

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