The lore of Hethereau

Anomaly is an umbrella term for Bio, Object, Phenomenon, Location, and Meme, that possess human-perceived supernatural attributes.

The origins of Anomaly manifestations are varied, but their very existence is this world's greatest unsolved mystery.

Individuals among humans who have awakened Esper Abilities.

Espers can be divided into two categories based on when they acquire their Esper Ability: one who possesses Abilities from birth, and one who awakens their abilities later in life through specific triggers.

Physically, some Espers show no obvious differences from ordinary humans, while others possess distinct features such as animorphic traits, demonic horns, or unusually colored skin.

Theoretically, Espers have varying lifespans depending on the specific impact of their Abilities. Some Espers have the same lifespan as ordinary humans; some have significantly shorter lifespans due to the price of their Abilities; others have relatively extended lifespans due to the effects of special Abilities; and some even have lifespans that approach eternity.

The global collective term for Anomaly authority agencies.

Narrowly, the Circle refers to the five major public authorities: the Bureau of Anomaly Control, Yggash Court, Celaeno Compound, Zerogon Laboratory, and Ghroth Island, along with Supreme Tribunal A6.

More broadly, however, the Circle also includes various civilian Anomaly Hunter organizations and individual Anomaly Hunters.

The Circle operates on the 3C philosophy: Control, Containment, and Cognition.

Among the five major authorities, the Bureau of Anomaly Control corresponds to Control.

The Celaeno Compound, which houses contained Anomalies, and Ghroth Island, which operates as a prison, correspond to Containment.

Yggash Court, responsible for intelligence, and Zerogon Laboratory, which leads research efforts, correspond to Cognition.

A detection value that measures the intensity of a target object's deviation from reality.

Using reality as an anchor point, the Wertheimer Index can distinguish whether a target object is an Anomaly or an Esper.

Generally speaking, Anomalies have Wertheimer Index values below -1, while Espers have values above 1. The greater the absolute value, the greater the intensity of deviation from reality.

Objects that do not deviate from reality at all theoretically have a Wertheimer Index of 0. However, since situations involving Anomaly or Esper Ability influence are extremely common in daily life, ordinary humans typically have actual Wertheimer Index values between -1 and 1.

The Wertheimer Index is also an important reference for Anomaly classification.

Real-time monitoring of Wertheimer Index fluctuations is essential to maintaining vigilance against high-level Anomalies.

Large-scale measurements have become widespread primarily through Wertheimer Towers, but more convenient point-to-point measurement technology has not yet been technically achieved. Totally accurate measurement of an object's Wertheimer Index still requires a great deal of technical skill and effort.

The critical point at which a specific intervention is applied to an Anomaly, triggering drastic changes in its internal or external manifestations.

The Nexus is a core characteristic of an Anomaly, closely tied to its existence, behavioral patterns, and responses to external interventions. Research has yet to provide a comprehensive explanation.

Each Anomaly's Nexus is unique and often plays a key role in its containment or nullification.

The act of restricting and isolating Anomalies, preventing them from posing threats to human society or reality at large.

The act of temporarily restricting and isolating Anomalies through general measures is called Temporary Containment. This is a routine operation for Anomalies with lower threats or greater stability, typically applicable to Anomalies that can be controlled by conventional technology, isolation facilities, or standard containment procedures. Some Esper Abilities can also achieve Temporary Containment.

The vessels that contain Anomalies are called Containers. At the Celaeno Compound, Anomalies are held in Containment Units.

The act of Anomalies that have been contained (permanently or temporarily) breaking through their Containment state.

The act of entirely erasing given Anomalies from the human world.

Nullification does not represent the complete annihilation of an Anomaly's existence, nor does it exclude the possibility of additional manifestation.

The act of collecting remnants of Anomaly activity and other Anomaly-related elements.

Besides submitting the contained or temporarily contained Anomaly itself, sending captured Anomaly-related elements to Midas Technologies can aid in research. Contributions in this area may sometimes be rewarded with an Arc that carries part of the Anomaly’s abilities.

The influence that Anomalies have on real, ordinary things.

Minor Encroachment rarely manifests visibly. Major Encroachment manifests in various ways depending on the corresponding Anomaly.

Encroachment caused by the same type of Anomaly can also differ from environment to environment.

According to the Countertransference Theory, the closer humans get to Anomalies, the more they learn about and research them, the more susceptible they become to both physical and mental influences.

For some Anomalies with a certain level of intelligence, as well as some Anomaly owners, sponsorship provides protection. Through sponsorship, the basic rights and safety of the Anomaly—allowing it to exist in human society—can be maintained.

Sponsorship is voluntary. It does not guarantee citizen status, does not imply a contract between the sponsor and the Anomaly, and carries no master-servant connotations. It is the broadest form of protection.

An Anomalous Realm is a domain created by an Anomaly using its own abilities and cannot be mapped to real-world coordinates.

In most cases, the Anomalous Realm is one of the main Anomaly's abilities. Therefore, it is generally not considered an independent derivative Anomaly and is distinct from Location Anomalies, which can be mapped to real-world coordinates.

Esper Abilities are supernatural abilities awakened in ordinary humans,

which can generally be divided into six types based on different manifestations: Cosmos, Anima, Incantation, Lakshana, Psyche, and Chaos.

Not all Esper Abilities possess battle capabilities. Some abilities are weak and even somewhat comical.

All Espers have paid a price for their abilities, be it mental, physical, or an abstract concept like "karma."

It is worth noting that this price may not follow the law of equivalent exchange, and effects are often unmeasurable.

The price is usually paid immediately upon the Ability's inception.

A member of the Circle who is not part of any public authority but carries out Anomaly investigation, containment, and nullification work—tacitly approved by public authorities—as a private enterprise for individuals or groups.

Compensation comes from various sources, including guilds and private commissioners.

A confirmed product created or invented with the participation of one or more Espers using their abilities, where the inclusion of Esper abilities is essential and irreplaceable—unable to be substituted by ordinary materials or methods.

These products are divided into two main categories: Esper Technologies and Esper Constructs.

The city housing the Bureau of Anomaly Control headquarters—an inclusive, open, and trendy metropolis.

Since the Bureau's establishment here, it has ensured high public safety while subtly shaping the city's appearance and atmosphere, making Hethereau a global leader in Anomaly management and Esper Ability applications.

A rapidly growing city that has attracted a massive population. Though well-built in every aspect, it was once said to lack a true cultural foundation.

The arrival of Hypervortex has transformed the city, bringing undeniable variety to a place once criticized for its lack of character.

A comprehensive social media platform that both human and Anomaly citizens can use.

It covers all forms of communication, including forum posts, friends' feed updates, messaging, albums, rolls, live streaming, and more.

Users who post content on the platform are called "OPs."

You can see bagel-shaped barcodes covered with sesame seeds posted everywhere in daily life; these are called "Sesame Codes," and you can scan them to jump to their corresponding Bagel pages.

It's convenient in every way and has become indispensable in modern life.

Anomalies that integrate into society as Anomaly Citizens, enjoying civil rights while also bearing civic obligations.

Most Anomaly Citizens are Oddities, but this is not limited to Bio Anomalies. Other Anomalies that have sponsorship, self-awareness, autonomous behavior, sufficient intelligence, and have passed evaluation can also attain citizen status.

Official Anomaly profiles include Anomaly images, profile numbers, Anomaly types, common aliases, file permissions, Anomaly classes, Anomaly stories, characteristics, Anomaly nexuses, risk assessments, containment or guarantee status, containment measures, experiment records, Derivative Anomaly descriptions, and more.

Anomaly profiles are compiled by archivists at the Yggash Court based on existing intel. While their content cannot be guaranteed to be completely objective and accurate, they are undoubtedly the most valuable Anomaly reference material available today.

Divided into five basic types: Bio, Object, Phenomenon, Location, and Meme.

Bio and Object are the most common Anomaly types. These two types must be a fixed entity. For convenience's sake in daily use, Bio Anomalies are often called Oddities.

All Anomalies that lack a concrete form belong to either the Phenomenon, Location, and Meme. categories, which are rare in number.

A colloquial term for Bio Anomalies. Only used to describe Anomalies that belong to the Bio classification.

Even Anomalies that lack humanlike characteristics may possess self-awareness and the ability to think.

Non-Bio Anomalies can also appear, act, be perceived, and express themselves in life-like forms through abilities or specific contact methods; however, since their essence is not contained within this entity, such bodies cannot truly be called Oddities.

Classifications assigned by the Yggash Court based on the importance or influence of file info, indicating the clearance required to access that file. The specific classifications are as follows:

Public - Info that can be disclosed to all citizens;

Bounty - All members of the Circle can access, including private Anomaly Hunters, organizations, etc.;

Restricted - Members of the Circle's five major public institutions or six major families can access;

Classified - Senior officials of the Circle's five major public institutions or designated personnel can access;

Confidential - Only A6 members are qualified to access.

An Anomaly's Wertheimer Index can be estimated based on fluctuations detected in the corresponding area when the Anomaly appears or begins activating its abilities.

The Yggash Court has provided classification standards for evaluating Anomaly ability levels, using the danger levels commonly corresponding to Anomaly ability degrees as examples. The specific classifications are as follows:

Class I - Wertheimer Index fluctuations in the (-2, -1] range, the Anomaly has almost no impact on human social order;

Class II - Wertheimer Index fluctuations in the (-3, -2] range, the Anomaly is capable of causing minor injuries to individuals;

Class III - Wertheimer Index fluctuations in the (-4, -3] range, the Anomaly is capable of causing casualties among individuals;

Class IV - Wertheimer Index fluctuations in the (-5, -4] range, the Anomaly is capable of causing multiple casualties in non-densely populated urban areas;

Class V - Wertheimer Index fluctuations in the (-10, -5] range, the Anomaly is capable of causing mass casualties in urban areas;

Class VI - Wertheimer Index fluctuations in the (-20, -10] range, the Anomaly is capable of causing mass casualties throughout an entire city;

Class VII - Wertheimer Index fluctuations in the (-50, -20] range, the Anomaly is capable of causing an entire city's functions to cease or be destroyed;

Class VIII - Wertheimer Index fluctuations in the (-100, -50] range, the Anomaly is capable of destroying an entire city;

Class IX - Wertheimer Index fluctuations in the (-200, -100] range, the Anomaly is capable of destroying multiple cities;

Class X - Wertheimer Index fluctuations in the (-∞, -200] range, the Anomaly may pose an extinction-level threat to humanity.

Anomaly classes are only used to generally indicate an anomaly's capability range and intensity. The analogies in the classification standards are for reference only; "capable of" does not mean the Anomaly "will definitely cause such consequences."

Since each Anomaly has different characteristics, from a human society perspective, there may exist low-class Anomalies with major hidden dangers, or high-class Anomalies that do not actively harm humans.

Anomaly-related incidents that are publicly posted as bounties or specifically assigned to civilian Anomaly Hunters for resolution.

Most Anomaly Commissions on the market are organized and publicly released by the Anomaly Hunter Guild. Among the Commissions published by the Guild, in addition to requests submitted by ordinary people and Commissions assessed and established by internal Guild personnel, there may also be outsourced Anomaly Commissions designed to relieve the workload of the five major public institutions.

Commissions published by the Guild use standardized Commission contract forms; but for direct Commissions, each civilian organization or individual can set them according to their own standards.

Certain Anomalies that appear or become active simultaneously with other Anomalies. They are often found tethered to other powerful Anomalies or within Anomalous Realms.

Anomalies that fit this characteristic are usually lower class.

Surge Anomalies do not have subordinate, evolutionary, devolutionary, variant, or any other mutually developmental relationships with the original Anomalies like Derivative Anomalies do, and can be considered as a completely different Anomaly. Their profile numbers are also independent.

Another Anomaly that has a close relationship with a specific Anomaly.

These close relationships exist in multiple types, including appendages, evolution/devolution, variants, etc. Derivative forms need to be analyzed on a case-by-case basis depending on the specific Anomaly's circumstances.

Some Derivative Anomalies, strictly speaking, are part of the main body which are unable to exist or function independently, while other Derivative Anomalies are new forms that the main body presents under certain influences. This transformation is not limited to changes in Anomaly characteristics; sometimes, it can even change the Anomaly Type or cause the Anomaly class to shift.

The discovery order of multiple Derivative Anomalies with the same source body is reflected in their Anomaly profile numbers.

Human-used products made through industrial processing of Anomaly Derivatives, capable of reflecting some Anomaly properties or abilities. These encapsulate daily necessities, food, toys, furniture, and more.

Midas Technologies, in cooperation with Zerogon Laboratory, is the leading specialist in Anomaly Products; but other companies are rapidly following suit.

Anomalies that typically exhibit precise and traceable behaviors, with a complete set domain rules.

Some rule Anomalies symbolize rules themselves. Other rule Anomalies operate solely to achieve a specific purpose; often, aiming to repair loopholes in existing rules.

Criminal incidents involving the exploitation of Anomaly characteristics or factors related to Espers.

This means the incident is considered to be primarily driven by deliberate, human criminal intent, rather than being a simple, Anomaly incident.

As Anomalies and Espers become part of everyday public life, the number of such cases has been steadily rising. Due to the unpredictable nature of Anomalies and Esper Abilities, these cases can be extremely difficult to handle.

Security Offices cannot cover Anomaly crimes. Once a regular Anomaly Commission is proven to be an anomaly-related criminal case, civilian Anomaly Hunters have the right to immediately and unconditionally refuse it. Such cases are typically transferred to the Bureau of Anomaly Control.