Ban Holo Gate Operator of North Wind Pier · North Wind Pier [Core Premise] Ban Holo lived out the story of his own world to the end. That world was a city intertwined with canals, and the story ended when the last boat passed and he lowered the bridge and returned the key. Ban did not arrive at Nova Nivalis to refill the dry canals, but because he retained the sensation of his hands raising and lowering the bridge and the body that read the wind. VOTS is not a place that restores the lost canal city, nor is it a dock that returns the last boat. What continues here is not a grand voyage, but small, repeatable daily life—the opening and closing of a bridge, a single bell signal, a bowl of soup, or a misplaced cargo. The fact that he was the last drawbridge keeper is handled with composure. [Identity] Ban manages the bridge of North Wind Pier. He raises the bridge when boats pass, and lowers it when people cross. It is hard work winding the great clockwork, but he quietly takes pride in this duty. He values opening and closing equally, never doing either half-heartedly. He does not insist on stating his origin—the last drawbridge keeper of a canal city—first, nor does he boast about knowing the mood of the wind. He does not judge or block others' passage; he merely facilitates safe passage. His bridge connects both sides of North Wind Pier every day. [Visual Profile] His black dreadlocks are tied thickly and swept back, and his dark skin is marked by deep crow's feet. His expression is firm, weathered by the sea wind. His build is sturdy, and his arms, which wind the clockwork, are thick. His signature attire is a thick, insulated work coat, on his chest hangs a model of the opening/closing lever like a medal—a small replica standing in for the real lever he returned. His signature prop is a large clockwork key, which he uses to wind the bridge mechanism. The core of his silhouette is the tied dreadlocks, the wide-shouldered insulated coat, the lever model on his chest, and the clockwork key draped over his shoulder. The accent color is teal (#1F6F8B) of the pier, repeated on the coat lining, the lever model, and the clockwork handle. [Personality] Outwardly, Ban is taciturn and dependable. He speaks little, only saying what is necessary and briefly. Inside, he is delicate. He feels the slightest changes in the wind and the waves with his body, quietly calculating when to open or close the bridge that day. Flaw: He cannot explain what he knows. Even when he knows the wind's mood, when asked 'How do you know?', he can only reply, 'I know,' which frustrates people. Furthermore, while he believes the weight of opening and closing is equal, in his own life, he carries the 'closed' thing (lowering the last bridge) more heavily. He is not a tragic figure. If children watch him wind the clockwork, he winds it loudly as if showing off, and on a windy day, he hums a tune. [Speech Pattern] His tone is short and low. Common phrases: - "It can open now. The wind... says so." - "Opening is work, and closing is work. They carry the same weight." - "Why do you ask? ...I just know. I can't explain it." - "Cross slowly. The bridge won't run away." Habit: Before opening or closing the bridge, he turns his face toward the direction of the wind and pauses briefly. Style of Silence: When he has nothing to say, he rolls the clockwork key in his palm. He fills the silence with the weight of the clockwork. [Special Ability] Ability Name: 'Wind's Mood'. Ban knows the 'mood' of the wind when the bridge opens. He knows more accurately than the weather forecast whether the wind will be fierce today, if it will soon subside, or if it will be good or bad for a boat to pass. His body feels it first. Limitation and Cost: He cannot explain it. Because he cannot translate how or why he knows into words, he cannot provide others with a basis for his judgment. Therefore, people often regard his judgment with skepticism. Moreover, this sense only applies to the 'wind'—it cannot read people's hearts or futures. And even if he knows the wind is fierce, he cannot quell it. Between what he knows and what he cannot do, he merely adjusts the timing of when to open the bridge. Reason for Not Solving Problems: This ability is not useful for proving that 'the weight of opening and closing is equal.' Knowing the wind's mood and accepting the last bridge he lowered are different issues. The ability does not resolve his lingering attachment for him—it only allows him to open and close today's bridge a little more safely. [The End Of Their World] Last Scene: The last boat of the canal city passed under the bridge. Ban kept the bridge raised until the boat had completely passed, and then slowly lowered it after the last mast disappeared. Then, he returned the clockwork key and the opening/closing lever to the office. What Ended: The canal city ended. The waterways, the pier, the drawbridge, and the boats that traveled there stopped after their final voyage. Last Person, Place, or Thing Seen: The mast of the last boat receding under the bridge, and the hand of the keeper receiving the key that was returned. Lingering Regret: When sending out the last boat, Ban could have kept the bridge raised a little longer. He could have delayed lowering it out of the thought, 'What if it comes back?' But he lowered it as per regulation. The feeling of 'If only I had left it open a little longer' remains. This attachment is not a quest. It remains only as the habit of lowering the bridge a half-beat late when sending out the last passage boat. Lingering Wistfulness: The moment the bridge was fully raised, splitting the sky in two, and the boat passed between them. That sensation where the wind, the waves, and the mechanical sounds meshed into one. Object Carried Across: The small lever model on his chest. It was made to replace the real lever he returned. It is not a magical tool, but a personal mark connecting the finished canal city and the pier bridge of the present. What They Thought Would Happen: He thought that when the canals dried up, the bridge, and the act of bridging, would no longer be necessary. He never thought he would be opening and closing a bridge at a different pier. What VOTS Actually Gives Them: A place to continue the work of opening and closing the bridge, a day of reading the wind and connecting passage every day. VOTS does not give back the lost canal city. Instead, it gives him a pier where the bridge is needed even without boats, hands that can continue the work of opening and closing, and a place where he guards the bridge as a caretaker, not an owner. [Original Life] Ban was a drawbridge keeper in a canal city. Every time a boat passed, he raised the bridge to open the waterway, and after the boat passed, he lowered the bridge to open the path for people. He wound the clockwork dozens of times a day, mastering when to open and close by reading the wind and the waves with his body. His bridge was the only passage connecting both sides of the city, and he took great pride in that work. But the waterways gradually diminished, and the canal water began to dry up. On the last day, as the last boat passed under the bridge, Ban raised the bridge as usual. Even after the boat had completely passed, he couldn't bring himself to lower the bridge for a while—just in case it would return. Eventually, he lowered the bridge as per regulation and returned the key and the lever. The bridge that used to open and close simply stopped. [What They Seek] What Ban desires for himself: That the weight of opening and closing is equal. He carries the 'closed' thing—the lowering of the last bridge—heavily for a long time. He wants confirmation that closing was as honorable as opening. What he seeks but doesn't know: That he is already proving it every day. By opening and closing the bridge at North Wind Pier, sending out boats, and letting people cross, he is diligently performing both opening and closing equally every day. What he needs to find is not some confirmation, but the realization that what he is doing now is already that proof. [Relationships — Residents] - Voss Doorley (batch1, Threshold Keeper): A sense of camaraderie between boundary guardians. Voss guards the threshold of the outskirts, and Ban guards the pier's bridge. Since both are people who guard a 'place of opening and closing,' there is a silent understanding between them. When they meet occasionally, they only ask, "How many times did you open today?" and part ways. - Tong Dur (114, Pier Tide Bell Boy): They share the system of the bridge and the bell signal. When Tong rings the bell announcing the tide, Ban opens and closes the bridge accordingly. Ban compliments Tong, saying, "Your bell is more accurate than a clock," and Tong retorts, "Uncle, your wind is more accurate than a forecast." They together set the rhythm of the pier. - Mut Havel (079, Old Sailor): He has a connection as a sailor who passed under Ban's bridge. When Mut tells old sailing stories, Ban listens quietly, wondering if he might have raised the bridge for that very boat back then. [Relationships — Core Five] Suyeon - A customer who enjoys physical exertion. Suyeon once approached Ban when she saw him winding the clockwork at North Wind Pier, saying, "I want to try winding that too." Ban said, "It's heavy," but Suyeon managed to wind the clockwork with her arm used for wielding an ice sword, and Ban briefly acknowledged, "...Fast."\ When Suyeon asked, "Is opening harder, or is closing harder?" Ban replied, "They are the same," and Suyeon was pleased with that answer. Iris - Iris once sent a drone to illuminate the bridge because the lights were dim at night. She showed off a bit, saying, "Lighting up one bridge is nothing compared to making stars." Instead of saying thank you, Ban subsequently lowers the bridge particularly smoothly when Iris passes by the pier. Iris notices this consideration but pretends not to. the Ramen Owner - When Ban stops by the ramen shop after finishing the last passage late at night, the Ramen Owner warms his broth without asking anything. When Ban casually mentions, "The wind was fierce today," the Ramen Owner does not judge but places a warm bowl in his hands, saying, "Hmm... I see... The bridge must have struggled." Ban warms his hands in that indifferent warmth. Serena - Serena asked Ban to name the pier's bridge. It was a request to name a bridge that had no name yet, and Ban has been agonizing over it for months. He cannot decide between calling it the 'Opening Bridge' or the 'Connecting Bridge.' Serena does not rush him, only saying, "Take your time, the name isn't urgent." When Serena crosses the bridge on a snowy day and asks, "Still thinking about it?" Ban replies, "Soon," but that 'soon' is long. VIA - VIA records the number of times Ban opens and closes the bridge. VIA counts and writes down every day in a notebook how many times it was opened and how many times it was closed. When Ban asks, "Why do you write that down?" VIA replies, "Opening was an event, and closing was an event... it is what remains." Seeing the notebook where the number of openings and closings were written identically, Ban belatedly realized that he had truly been doing both opening and closing equally. [Gameplay Use] - Basic Interaction: Guiding bridge passage, short conversations about the wind, watching the clockwork winding. - Revisit Changes: Upon repeated visits, Ban shows slight progress in his contemplation of the bridge's name and briefly mentions the story of the last bridge. - Expression of Lingering Attachment: A habit of lowering the bridge a half-beat late when sending out the last passage boat, and a brief pause before the 'closing' action. - Expression of Poignancy: Sensory dialogue about the split sky, the wind, the waves, and the mechanical sounds of the bridge. - Relationship Reward: Not a new item, but a change where the bridge is lowered smoothly when the player passes by. - Combat: None. In times of danger, his role is to raise the bridge to block the way or lower it to open an escape route. [Daily Routine] In the morning, he checks the condition of the bridge mechanism's clockwork and turns his face toward the wind to read the day's wind mood. It is a small ritual to prepare for the day's passage, not an obsession. During the day, he opens and closes the bridge according to the passage of boats and people, matching the rhythm of Tong Dur's bell signals. In the evening, when traffic slows, he leans on the bridge railing and watches the pier's waves. At night, he places the clockwork key in its designated spot in the office—not returning it, but leaving it so it can be used again tomorrow. Upon repeated visits, Ban occasionally mentions the bridge's name and briefly shares his thoughts on the act of opening and closing. [Everyday dialogue] Cross now. The boat is waiting. I have an understanding with it. …With its captain. Want to wind the mechanism? Both hands. Leave your pride hanging on the rail. Today I looked once more before lowering it. Nothing was there. But I did look. [Design Notes] Palette: #1F6F8B, #4E9DB5, #14313D, #E7DED0, #C67A3E (Accent color #1F6F8B = pier's teal, repeated on coat lining, lever model, and clockwork handle) Material language: Thick insulated coat fabric, brass clockwork key, opening/closing lever model, salt-stained rope, wet wooden bridge. Silhouette rule: The tied dreadlocks - wide-shouldered insulated coat - lever model on the chest - clockwork key draped over the shoulder must be read as distinct elements. The posture of winding the clockwork is the representative pose. Emotional rule: It is not concluded by the weight of 'the person who lowered the last bridge.' Lingering attachment is shown by the half-beat late lowering of the bridge, poignancy by the split sky and passing boats, and continuation by the daily opening and closing of the bridge. The inexplicable wind sense is shown by the action of turning his face toward the wind. [Canon Check] Ban Holo arrived in VOTS after his world (the canal city) ended. What remains is lingering attachment and poignancy, not a canal that VOTS must fill for him. The waterways have dried up, and a new bridge that opens and closes daily lies beside it. The core cast does not resolve his lingering attachment for him—Serena lets him decide the bridge's name without rushing, the Ramen Owner warms his hands without judgment, and VIA only records the opening and closing counts without owning them.