Overview:
The Ledger Halls were once the heart of Haven XVII’s governance and data preservation. Grand halls of brass and copper housed councils, record-keeping chambers, and administrative offices. Now, the district is largely silent, its intricate mechanical filing systems slowly winding down. Only fragments of its former function remain—rotating shelves, partially wound memory cogs, and areas maintained by a handful of factions guarding knowledge and history.
Appearance:
Tall, ordered halls stretch along straight avenues, with latticed walkways connecting clerical towers. Polished metal surfaces reflect pale sunlight, and embedded gears move in slow, deliberate increments. Whispering echoes carry down long corridors of empty offices and archive rooms, punctuated by the faint tick of rewound memory cogs still in use.
Structure:
Wide avenues lined with multi-story record halls, towers for oversight, and mechanical elevators.
Some corridors collapse into lower catwalks or open atriums.
Sections of the district are still partially powered by communal energy cores, keeping small portions functional.
Landmarks:
The Central Archive: A massive hall of rotating memory units, partially maintained by the Conservators to preserve critical records.
The Assembly Rotunda: The dais and surrounding chamber retain their ceremonial form, though council functions ceased long ago. Machinery still whirs faintly, winding down at its own pace as decades of activity fade into silence.
Clockwork Courtyards: Open areas where suspended walkways and service scaffolds converge, often used for small gatherings or temporary camps.
Faction Presence:
The Conservators: Maintain critical archives, rotating members in and out of dormancy to conserve energy.
The Vigil: Occasionally present in peripheral towers, coordinating small-scale repairs tied to citywide systems.
The Salvagers: Frequently appear to trade memory cogs or salvage found by chance, otherwise uninterested in the district.
“A Conservator woke up screaming last cycle and demanded a corridor be sealed. No one says why.”
“They say some Archivists don’t remember being activated anymore—only what they were storing when they went dormant.”
“A ledger was misplaced, and now two halls refuse to open at the same time.”
“A memory unit from before the Silence was accessed recently. Power spiked, then three Conservators went dormant immediately after.”
“The Ledger Halls’ defensive routes were reconfigured without authorization. No alarms triggered.”
“Someone’s trading answers they shouldn’t have—questions about districts no longer mapped.”
“There’s a sealed index that predicts failures in advance. It isn’t prophecy—just too much data.”
“The Conservators aren’t afraid of the Harvesters breaking in. They’re afraid of something waking up.”
“One Archivist has been active far longer than allowed and refuses to shut down. The records say they already did.”