Revision 7

Overview

Anomalies are supernatural phenomena and manifestations that defy common sense in the world of Hethereau. They take many forms: entities, objects, locations, and even memes. Their scale ranges from minor disturbances to overtly dangerous phenomena, and their appearance can shift from cutesy little animals to surreal, almost horror-like entities, evoking a very SCP-esque feeling. Officially, they have been described as bizarre lifeforms drawn to Earth by something called the Hypervortex.

Anomalies and ordinary people live together in relative peace across Hethereau. The city has adapted to their presence, and daily life carries on with supernatural creatures roaming the streets alongside humans and Espers. However, anomalies sometimes go haywire or start causing trouble, at which point organizations like the Bureau of Anomaly Control and independent anomaly hunters from places like Eibon Antique Shop are called in to deal with the situation.

Nature and Behavior

One of the defining traits of anomalies is the way they alter their surroundings. When anomalies manifest or become agitated, the environment can seamlessly transition to a much more creepy, surreal world in real time. Streets that seemed perfectly normal a moment ago might suddenly take on a distorted quality, with colors shifting and geometry warping around the source of the anomaly. This transition is not just visual; the gameplay itself reflects these shifts through changing combat arenas and exploration zones.

Not all anomalies are hostile. Many exist passively, and some are even helpful. Oddities, the sentient supernatural beings in Hethereau, are a related but distinct category. While oddities are sentient creatures that coexist with humans, anomalies as a broader class encompass all supernatural phenomena, whether sentient or not. The key distinction is that anomalies are the phenomena themselves, while oddities are the living beings that emerged from or were shaped by the supernatural.

Encroachment

The closer an ordinary person gets to anomalies, or the more time they spend studying them, the more likely they are to experience Encroachment. This is the process by which prolonged anomaly exposure affects both the body and the mind in unpredictable ways. Encroachment is not inherently destructive; it is also the mechanism through which ordinary humans develop supernatural abilities and become Espers. The protagonist of NTE, known as Esper Zero, gained their unique powers through this very process prior to the events of the game.

Classification

Anomalies are classified on a numbered scale that indicates their severity and danger level. Two classes have been confirmed in official sources:

The Hypervortex holds a paradoxical nature: it should have been unstoppable, yet it is impossibly fragile. If you peer into its core, it collapses within minutes. This contradiction is part of what makes Class VII anomalies so difficult to study and contain.

Anomaly Commissions and Bosses

Players interact with anomalies directly through Anomaly Commissions, which are tasks issued by the public and the Bureau. These commissions range from investigating minor disturbances to confronting full-scale Anomaly Bosses, powerful anomalies with unique designs and rich backstories. Boss encounters are a core part of the gameplay loop, offering challenging fights that test team composition and knowledge of the Esper Cycle system.

Anomaly bosses are not simple monsters. Each one has a distinct visual identity, lore background, and set of combat mechanics. Defeating them is central to progression and often ties into the broader narrative about Hethereau's relationship with the supernatural world.