## Narrative (EN)
Traveler,  

Between epochs lie crossings.  
Not every frog may pass freely.  

→ The Bridgekeeper stands watch,  
measuring weight,  
testing vows,  
guarding the seam where one age ends  
and another begins.  

To some, the Bridgekeeper is obstacle.  
To others, protector.  
But always, it is the same truth:  
**the bridge is not owned,  
it is earned.**  

Those who hold patience,  
who carry flame without falter,  
find the bridge lowering.  
Those who chase noise  
find only mist.  

The pond whispers:  
not all gates are locked —  
some simply wait  
for the traveler to be ready.  

### Key Marks (EN)
- **KM1.** The Bridgekeeper guards the thresholds of epochs.  
- **KM2.** Passage depends on patience and conviction, not shortcuts.  
- **KM3.** The bridge is both test and protection.  

### Operations (EN)
- Mark seasonal transitions with symbolic guardianship.  
- Teach that progress is earned through readiness, not demand.  

### Cryptic Symbol Table (EN)
- 🌉 = threshold between epochs  
- 🐸 = traveler tested  
- 🔑 = earned passage  

### Lore Anchors (EN)
- Prev: **TOBY_L493_TheSilentOnes**  
- Next: **TOBY_L495_TheGreatStillness**

tags: [Lore, Canon, Character, Threshold]
