Bureau of Anomaly Control
The Bureau of Anomaly Control (BAC) is the government organization responsible for Anomaly and Esper management in Hethereau. Contains the ETD (Anomaly Response Division) with multiple teams, CSU-2 (Containment Unit 2), and processes resident permits for Oddities. The protagonist joins as an unlicensed Appraiser assigned to the Eibon Antique Shop.
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Overview
The Bureau of Anomaly Control (BAC) is the central government organization responsible for Anomaly and Esper management throughout Hethereau. In a city where supernatural phenomena regularly disrupt everyday life, the Bureau serves as the primary institutional response to threats that conventional law enforcement and emergency services cannot handle. The Bureau is deeply intertwined with the game's main narrative, as the protagonist is recruited into its ranks under unusual circumstances.
The Bureau operates as a hierarchical organization with multiple specialized divisions. Its hall is described in official materials as a bustling place where "hopeful Oddities queue up for their resident permits," reflecting the Bureau's dual mandate of both managing threats and facilitating coexistence between humans and supernatural beings.
Organizational Structure
The Bureau is divided into several divisions, each with a specific mandate. The two most prominent divisions encountered in the game are the ETD (Anomaly Response Division) for frontline operations and the CSU (Containment Units) for long-term containment and study.
ETD (Anomaly Response Division)
The ETD, or Anomaly Response Division, is the Bureau's frontline operational arm. ETD operatives respond directly to anomaly incidents in the field, investigating disturbances, engaging hostile entities, and securing affected areas. The ETD is organized into multiple numbered teams, each led by a captain and composed of specialized members.
ETD teams operate semi-independently within their assigned areas of Hethereau, responding to anomaly alerts and coordinating with each other when threats escalate beyond a single team's capacity. Each team develops its own operational culture and specialties based on its captain's leadership style and its members' abilities.
ETD-4
ETD-4 is the specific team most directly connected to the game's story. It is captained by Baicang, who wields the power of Incantations along with martial arts prowess. Officially described as carefree, irreverent, and blunt to a fault, Baicang is also known as a master of dodging work despite being a formidable leader. As captain, he is able to provide support to other ETD-4 allies in combat even when not the active character.
ETD-4's confirmed members include:
Baicang Captain of ETD-4. An Incantation-attribute operative who combines arcane power with martial arts. Balances tactical efficiency with a laid-back personality.
Fadia A Psyche-attribute operative and member of ETD-4. Her mental energy abilities make her valuable for anomaly assessment and support-oriented combat.
Lacrimosa An Incantation-attribute operative and member of ETD-4. Wields dual blades and possesses supernatural abilities that go deeper than her Bureau role suggests. Known for her fascination with tomatoes.
Skia A Lakshana-attribute operative and member of ETD-4. Precise and methodical in the field, Skia brings a kinetic combat style and has synergistic abilities with Baicang's power words.
In the game's opening animation "Hypervortex Before the Storm," members of ETD-4 are shown immediately departing from Hethereau to rush to the scene of a disaster, establishing their role as first responders to major anomalous events.
CSU-2 (Containment Unit 2)
CSU-2, or Containment Unit 2, is a specialized division focused on long-term containment and study of anomalous entities and artifacts. While ETD teams handle the immediate response, CSU units are responsible for securing anomalies after the initial crisis is resolved, transporting dangerous objects to secure facilities, maintaining containment protocols, and researching the nature of anomalous phenomena.
CSU-2 is where Mint serves. Officially described as a "rising star" in the Bureau of Anomaly Control's Containment Unit 2, Mint is known for being able to chat about anything and everything, though only during off-hours. Her role in the containment division gives her a different perspective on anomalies compared to frontline ETD operatives.
The Appraiser Role and Eibon
The protagonist of Neverness to Everness joins the Bureau as an Appraiser, a unique designation that carries special significance. The player character is the first unlicensed Anomaly Hunter in Hethereau, an Esper-powered individual recruited by the Bureau under unusual circumstances. The protagonist has lost all memories prior to the opening scene and can be customized with a gender choice at the start of the game.
Rather than working directly at Bureau headquarters, the protagonist is assigned to Eibon, a severely underfunded branch of anomaly hunters operating out of a struggling antique shop. Eibon relies on taking Anomaly commissions from the public to stay afloat. As an Appraiser, the protagonist's role involves investigating, analyzing, and resolving supernatural disturbances occurring throughout the city.
Eibon also serves as the base for several key characters including Nanally, who is described as the star attraction of the antique shop and the most renowned family head in the Bridge District, as well as Sakiri, Adler, and Edgar, who accompany the protagonist throughout the adventure.
Hopeful Oddities
Hopeful Oddities is a term used within the Bureau for supernatural entities or anomalous beings that are not hostile and seek to coexist with human society. According to official descriptions, these beings queue for resident permits through the Bureau, attempting to gain legal recognition as Hethereau citizens. The existence of Hopeful Oddities adds moral complexity to the Bureau's mandate: not all anomalies are threats, and the Bureau must balance containment with coexistence.
The Hopeful Oddities system creates opportunities for quest lines involving diplomatic resolution rather than combat. The game's subtitle "Coexistence" (reflected in the Co-Ex Test name) underscores this thematic tension between humans and supernatural beings.
Relationship with Private Anomaly Hunters
The Bureau of Anomaly Control is not the only organization dealing with anomalies in Hethereau. Private Anomaly Hunters operate independently, often hired by corporations and wealthy clients in New Herland District. The relationship between the Bureau and private Hunters is competitive and sometimes adversarial. The Bureau represents government authority and public safety, while private Hunters are driven by profit and client demands.
Narrative Significance
The Bureau of Anomaly Control is the narrative backbone of Neverness to Everness. The game's main storyline follows the protagonist's journey as an unlicensed outsider recruited into the Bureau, uncovering deeper mysteries about the nature of Anomalies and the supernatural forces that threaten Hethereau. Main quests revolve around investigating and resolving anomalies, structured like case files that the Bureau assigns. The Bureau's organizational structure provides a framework for introducing characters, assigning missions, and escalating the story's stakes as the protagonist gains access to higher-level operations.
Related Pages
Hethereau The city where the Bureau operates.
Anomalies The supernatural threats the Bureau manages.
Baicang Captain of ETD-4, Incantation attribute.
Fadia ETD-4 member, Psyche attribute.
Lacrimosa ETD-4 member, Incantation attribute.
Skia ETD-4 member, Lakshana attribute.
Mint CSU-2 rising star.
Nanally Star attraction of the Eibon Antique Shop.
Sakiri Member of the Eibon Antique Shop.
Hotori Owner of Bar Eibon.
New Herland District Where the private Anomaly Hunter market thrives.
Esper Cycle The combat attribute system used by Bureau operatives.