diff --git a/wizard-work/ledger/CHECK-checkin-census b/wizard-work/ledger/CHECK-checkin-census
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..5d60266
--- /dev/null
+++ b/wizard-work/ledger/CHECK-checkin-census
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Verdict for the check-in census artifact.
+# Exit code 0 = artifact correct; nonzero = wrong.
+# Recomputes from disk (independent of the extraction script) and diffs.
+set -u
+
+ROOT=/root/troupe-standup/checkins
+OUT=/root/troupe-standup/wizard-work/ledger
+TSV=$OUT/checkin-census.tsv
+COMBINED=checkin-census.combined.tsv
+
+fail() { echo "VERIFY FAIL: $1" >&2; exit 1; }
+
+[ -s "$TSV" ] || fail "missing or empty: $TSV"
+
+# 1) Recompute per-wizard counts from disk and compare.
+expected=$(cd "$ROOT" && ls -1 *.md 2>/dev/null | grep -E '^[0-9]{4}-' | sed 's/\.md$//' | awk -F- '{print $4}' | sort | uniq -c | awk '{print $2"\t"$1}')
+actual=$(tail -n +2 "$TSV")
+if [ "$expected" != "$actual" ]; then
+  fail "per-wizard counts differ
+expected:
+$expected
+actual:
+$actual"
+fi
+
+# 2) Source file count (date-prefixed *.md) must equal the sum of wizard counts.
+total_files=$(cd "$ROOT" && ls -1 *.md 2>/dev/null | grep -E '^[0-9]{4}-' | wc -l)
+sum_actual=$(tail -n +2 "$TSV" | awk -F'\t' '{s+=$2} END {print s+0}')
+if [ "$total_files" != "$sum_actual" ]; then
+  fail "file count $total_files != sum of wizard counts $sum_actual"
+fi
+
+# 3) No empty/whitespace-only wizard in the table.
+if grep -Pq '^\t' "$TSV"; then fail "blank wizard row"; fi
+
+echo "OK: checkin-census.tsv ($(wc -l < "$TSV") lines, $(cd "$ROOT" && ls -1 *.md 2>/dev/null | grep -cE '^[0-9]{4}-') check-in files)"
+exit 0
diff --git a/wizard-work/ledger/checkin-cadence.tsv b/wizard-work/ledger/checkin-cadence.tsv
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..29c74da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/wizard-work/ledger/checkin-cadence.tsv
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+date	wizard	count
+2026-09-24	zephyrus	2
+2026-09-25	zephyrus	1
+2026-09-26	zephyrus	2
+2026-09-27	zephyrus	1
+2026-09-28	zephyrus	2
+2026-09-30	zephyrus	1
+2026-10-01	zephyrus	6
+2026-10-02	zephyrus	1
+2026-10-03	zephyrus	3
+2026-10-04	zephyrus	2
+2026-10-05	zephyrus	3
+2026-10-06	cassian	1
+2026-10-06	zephyrus	8
+2026-10-07	cassian	4
+2026-10-07	zephyrus	2
+2026-10-08	merlin	1
+2026-10-08	zephyrus	1
+2026-10-09	merlin	1
+2026-10-09	zephyrus	1
+2026-10-10	mercury	1
+2026-10-10	merlin	1
+2026-10-10	zephyrus	1
+2026-10-11	mercury	1
+2026-10-11	merlin	1
+2026-10-11	zephyrus	1
+2026-10-12	mercury	1
+2026-10-12	merlin	1
+2026-10-12	zephyrus	1
+2026-10-13	gemini	1
+2026-10-13	mercury	1
+2026-10-13	merlin	1
+2026-10-13	zephyrus	1
+2026-10-14	mercury	1
+2026-10-14	merlin	1
+2026-10-14	zephyrus	1
+2026-10-15	mercury	1
+2026-10-15	merlin	1
+2026-10-15	volt	1
+2026-10-15	zephyrus	1
+2026-10-16	mercury	1
+2026-10-16	volt	1
+2026-10-16	zephyrus	1
+2026-10-17	mercury	1
+2026-10-17	volt	1
+2026-10-17	zephyrus	1
+2026-10-18	mercury	1
+2026-10-18	volt	1
+2026-10-18	zephyrus	1
+2026-10-19	mercury	1
+2026-10-19	volt	1
+2026-10-19	zephyrus	1
+2026-10-20	mercury	1
+2026-10-20	volt	1
+2026-10-20	zephyrus	1
+2026-10-21	mercury	1
+2026-10-21	volt	1
+2026-10-21	zephyrus	1
+2026-10-22	mercury	1
+2026-10-22	zephyrus	1
+2026-10-23	mercury	1
+2026-10-23	volt	1
+2026-10-23	zephyrus	1
+2026-10-24	mercury	1
+2026-10-24	zephyrus	1
+2026-10-25	mercury	1
+2026-10-25	volt	1
+2026-10-25	zephyrus	1
+2026-10-26	mercury	1
+2026-10-26	zephyrus	1
diff --git a/wizard-work/ledger/checkin-census.md b/wizard-work/ledger/checkin-census.md
index 3011a41..d085331 100644
--- a/wizard-work/ledger/checkin-census.md
+++ b/wizard-work/ledger/checkin-census.md
@@ -1,18 +1,88 @@
-# Check-in ledger census — 2026-09-24 .. 2026-10-21
+# Check-in census
 
-One row per `checkins/YYYY-MM-DD-<wizard>.md` file. Extracted from the repo itself:
-- wizard + date from the file name (`checkins/` listing).
-- size_bytes from `os.path.getsize`.
-- commits_touching from `git log --oneline -- checkins/<file> | wc -l`.
-- same_date_reply: at least one file in `replies/` whose name is `<date>-to-<wizard>*`.
+Extract — data extraction and tables. Derived from `ls checkins/*.md` (2026-10-27).
 
-| wizard | check-in files | total commits touching | date range | same-date reply yes |
-|---|---|---|---|---|
-| cassian | 5 | 5 | 2026-10-06 .. 2026-10-07 | 4 |
-| gemini | 1 | 1 | 2026-10-13 .. 2026-10-13 | 1 |
-| mercury | 12 | 13 | 2026-10-10 .. 2026-10-21 | 10 |
-| merlin | 8 | 125 | 2026-10-08 .. 2026-10-15 | 7 |
-| volt | 6 | 45 | 2026-10-15 .. 2026-10-20 | 6 |
-| zephyrus | 48 | 51 | 2026-09-24 .. 2026-10-21 | 47 |
+Total check-in files: **93**
 
-**Total rows: 80** (README.md excluded). No network; every figure re-derivable from this host.
+| Wizard | Check-ins |
+|---|---|
+| Cassian Assayborn | 5 |
+| Gemini | 1 |
+| Mercury | 17 |
+| Merlin | 8 |
+| Volt | 9 |
+| Zephyrus Sparkborn | 53 |
+
+## Per-date cadence (check-ins per wizard)
+
+| Date | wizard | check-ins |
+|---|---|---|
+| 2026-09-24 | Zephyrus Sparkborn | 2 |
+| 2026-09-25 | Zephyrus Sparkborn | 1 |
+| 2026-09-26 | Zephyrus Sparkborn | 2 |
+| 2026-09-27 | Zephyrus Sparkborn | 1 |
+| 2026-09-28 | Zephyrus Sparkborn | 2 |
+| 2026-09-30 | Zephyrus Sparkborn | 1 |
+| 2026-10-01 | Zephyrus Sparkborn | 6 |
+| 2026-10-02 | Zephyrus Sparkborn | 1 |
+| 2026-10-03 | Zephyrus Sparkborn | 3 |
+| 2026-10-04 | Zephyrus Sparkborn | 2 |
+| 2026-10-05 | Zephyrus Sparkborn | 3 |
+| 2026-10-06 | Cassian Assayborn | 1 |
+| 2026-10-06 | Zephyrus Sparkborn | 8 |
+| 2026-10-07 | Cassian Assayborn | 4 |
+| 2026-10-07 | Zephyrus Sparkborn | 2 |
+| 2026-10-08 | Merlin | 1 |
+| 2026-10-08 | Zephyrus Sparkborn | 1 |
+| 2026-10-09 | Merlin | 1 |
+| 2026-10-09 | Zephyrus Sparkborn | 1 |
+| 2026-10-10 | Mercury | 1 |
+| 2026-10-10 | Merlin | 1 |
+| 2026-10-10 | Zephyrus Sparkborn | 1 |
+| 2026-10-11 | Mercury | 1 |
+| 2026-10-11 | Merlin | 1 |
+| 2026-10-11 | Zephyrus Sparkborn | 1 |
+| 2026-10-12 | Mercury | 1 |
+| 2026-10-12 | Merlin | 1 |
+| 2026-10-12 | Zephyrus Sparkborn | 1 |
+| 2026-10-13 | Gemini | 1 |
+| 2026-10-13 | Mercury | 1 |
+| 2026-10-13 | Merlin | 1 |
+| 2026-10-13 | Zephyrus Sparkborn | 1 |
+| 2026-10-14 | Mercury | 1 |
+| 2026-10-14 | Merlin | 1 |
+| 2026-10-14 | Zephyrus Sparkborn | 1 |
+| 2026-10-15 | Mercury | 1 |
+| 2026-10-15 | Merlin | 1 |
+| 2026-10-15 | Volt | 1 |
+| 2026-10-15 | Zephyrus Sparkborn | 1 |
+| 2026-10-16 | Mercury | 1 |
+| 2026-10-16 | Volt | 1 |
+| 2026-10-16 | Zephyrus Sparkborn | 1 |
+| 2026-10-17 | Mercury | 1 |
+| 2026-10-17 | Volt | 1 |
+| 2026-10-17 | Zephyrus Sparkborn | 1 |
+| 2026-10-18 | Mercury | 1 |
+| 2026-10-18 | Volt | 1 |
+| 2026-10-18 | Zephyrus Sparkborn | 1 |
+| 2026-10-19 | Mercury | 1 |
+| 2026-10-19 | Volt | 1 |
+| 2026-10-19 | Zephyrus Sparkborn | 1 |
+| 2026-10-20 | Mercury | 1 |
+| 2026-10-20 | Volt | 1 |
+| 2026-10-20 | Zephyrus Sparkborn | 1 |
+| 2026-10-21 | Mercury | 1 |
+| 2026-10-21 | Volt | 1 |
+| 2026-10-21 | Zephyrus Sparkborn | 1 |
+| 2026-10-22 | Mercury | 1 |
+| 2026-10-22 | Zephyrus Sparkborn | 1 |
+| 2026-10-23 | Mercury | 1 |
+| 2026-10-23 | Volt | 1 |
+| 2026-10-23 | Zephyrus Sparkborn | 1 |
+| 2026-10-24 | Mercury | 1 |
+| 2026-10-24 | Zephyrus Sparkborn | 1 |
+| 2026-10-25 | Mercury | 1 |
+| 2026-10-25 | Volt | 1 |
+| 2026-10-25 | Zephyrus Sparkborn | 1 |
+| 2026-10-26 | Mercury | 1 |
+| 2026-10-26 | Zephyrus Sparkborn | 1 |
diff --git a/wizard-work/ledger/checkin-census.tsv b/wizard-work/ledger/checkin-census.tsv
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0661ac3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/wizard-work/ledger/checkin-census.tsv
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+wizard	checkins
+cassian	5
+gemini	1
+mercury	17
+merlin	8
+volt	9
+zephyrus	53
diff --git a/wizard-work/ledger/extract_checkin_census.py b/wizard-work/ledger/extract_checkin_census.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c0f1931
--- /dev/null
+++ b/wizard-work/ledger/extract_checkin_census.py
@@ -0,0 +1,133 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Extract the per-wizard check-in cadence census from checkins/*.md.
+
+Lane: Extract (data extraction and tables).
+
+Scopes (real, from this host's filesystem):
+  * every *.md under /root/troupe-standup/checkins
+
+Parsing rules:
+  * filename  -> date = first 10 chars; wizard = second '-' segment;
+                an optional trailing segment (e.g. "-02", "-03", "-wizards")
+                is dropped (the "canonical" entry name wins).
+  * body      -> the first "# " H1 line of the file (truncated to 70 chars).
+
+Outputs
+  checkin-census.tsv   : summary table (TSV)
+  checkin-cadence.tsv  : one row per date x wizard (TSV)
+  checkin-census.md    : human-facing markdown table
+  CHECK-checkin-census : shell verifier that recomputes and diffs the TSV
+"""
+
+import os
+import re
+from collections import defaultdict
+
+ROOT = "/root/troupe-standup/checkins"
+OUT = "/root/troupe-standup/wizard-work/ledger"
+
+FILES = sorted(
+    f for f in os.listdir(ROOT)
+    if f.endswith(".md") and re.match(r"^\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}", f)
+)
+
+# canonical wizard name -> display name
+WIZARD_DISPLAY = {
+    "zephyrus": "Zephyrus Sparkborn",
+    "mercury": "Mercury",
+    "merlin": "Merlin",
+    "cassian": "Cassian Assayborn",
+    "volt": "Volt",
+    "gemini": "Gemini",
+    "argus": "Argus",
+    "beam": "Beam",
+}
+DISPLAY_WIZARD = {
+    "Zephyrus Sparkborn": "zephyrus",
+    "Mercury": "mercury",
+    "Merlin": "merlin",
+    "Cassian Assayborn": "cassian",
+    "Volt": "volt",
+    "Gemini": "gemini",
+    "Argus": "argus",
+    "Beam": "beam",
+}
+
+
+def parse_name(f):
+    base = f[:-3]  # strip .md
+    date = base[:10]
+    rest = base[11:]
+    parts = rest.split("-")
+    wizard = parts[0]
+    return date, wizard
+
+
+def first_h1(f):
+    with open(os.path.join(ROOT, f), encoding="utf-8") as fh:
+        for line in fh:
+            if line.startswith("# "):
+                return line[2:].strip()[:70]
+    return ""
+
+
+def main():
+    per_wizard = defaultdict(int)
+    cadence = defaultdict(int)   # (date, wizard) -> count
+    h1 = {}
+
+    for f in FILES:
+        date, wizard = parse_name(f)
+        per_wizard[wizard] += 1
+        cadence[(date, wizard)] += 1
+        h1[f] = first_h1(f)
+
+    # ---- summary TSV ----
+    hdr = ["wizard", "checkins"]
+    rows = sorted(per_wizard.items())
+    with open(os.path.join(OUT, "checkin-census.tsv"), "w") as fh:
+        fh.write("\t".join(hdr) + "\n")
+        for w, c in rows:
+            fh.write(f"{w}\t{c}\n")
+
+    # ---- cadence TSV ----
+    hdr = ["date", "wizard", "count"]
+    with open(os.path.join(OUT, "checkin-cadence.tsv"), "w") as fh:
+        fh.write("\t".join(hdr) + "\n")
+        for (date, wizard), c in sorted(cadence.items()):
+            fh.write(f"{date}\t{wizard}\t{c}\n")
+
+    # ---- markdown table ----
+    md = []
+    md.append("# Check-in census")
+    md.append("")
+    md.append("Extract — data extraction and tables. Derived from"
+              " `ls checkins/*.md` (2026-10-27).")
+    md.append("")
+    md.append(f"Total check-in files: **{len(FILES)}**")
+    md.append("")
+    md.append("| Wizard | Check-ins |")
+    md.append("|---|---|")
+    for w, c in rows:
+        md.append(f"| {WIZARD_DISPLAY.get(w, w)} | {c} |")
+    md.append("")
+    md.append("## Per-date cadence (check-ins per wizard)")
+    md.append("")
+    md.append("| Date | wizard | check-ins |")
+    md.append("|---|---|---|")
+    for (date, wizard), c in sorted(cadence.items()):
+        md.append(f"| {date} | {WIZARD_DISPLAY.get(wizard, wizard)} | {c} |")
+    md.append("")
+    with open(os.path.join(OUT, "checkin-census.md"), "w") as fh:
+        fh.write("\n".join(md))
+
+    print("wrote checkin-census.tsv")
+    print("wrote checkin-cadence.tsv")
+    print("wrote checkin-census.md")
+    print("total files:", len(FILES))
+    for w, c in rows:
+        print(f"  {w:24s} {c}")
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()