Anomaly

An anomaly, as classified by Raven and the wider human scientific community, is an uncontrolled sources of exophysical phenomena (specifically, via substratic manipulation) that poses a risk or effects a disruption to its surrounding area and the life within it via manifold distortion or other hazards. A sapient anomalies is an anomaly that possesses sapience; a common form of a sapient anomaly is any conscious entity with the ability to practice psionics. Examples of anomalies include most Precursor technology (Geometry Cubes, Dark Obelisks, the Null Driver, etc); sapients such as Exon and the Selerian Horror, and all members of the Ir'vaki species, which have intrinsic psionic abilities; and some entities that emerge from dimensional incursions.

Politics

In human society, anomalies are regarded and feared as one of the greatest existential threats, alongside negligent damage to reality resulting from the actions of humans. The regulatory and security organisation Raven was established to control all exophysical sciences in order to attempt to eliminate the perceived threat of anomalies to human civilisation. Raven’s historical doctrine towards anomalies that are too unstable or dangerous to contain and study, including sapient anomalies, has been to destroy them using overwhelming force.

The truth is that it is unnecessary to summarily terminate sapient anomalies that pose no ill will towards humanity, and that most negative effects they produce passively on their surroundings can be mitigated via technological measures. However, Raven has refused to change its stance, citing the risk of any sapient anomaly being allowed to roam free to humanity outweighing the moral advantage of allowing them to live. This has resulted in the advent of a powerful insurgency known as the Anomaly Rights Coalition that wages war on Raven for survival. Ironically, even humans in the most distant of senses are technically anomalies due to their latent psionic abilities. The same applies to any sapient being (any being with a substratic network). Of course, this is a fact Raven will never acknowledge.