The Anomaly

Let them touch your soul

"At first they made fun of them. Who could be this clumsy one, speaking in a speech long forgotten. Then they took interest. To the ancient gibberish, there was something else. Waves like no others, echoing both in the water of the Expanse and the one of our soul. We asked them of their origin, they didn't remember it. We asked them of the strange waves, they didn't elaborate further than one term. We called it soulwaves, they taught us the word music.

This strange one, they made us discover more than a novel way to express oneself. They brought us a whole art unexplored yet. We were three at the very beginning, begging them to teach us. Othlax who sculpts the sky , Glloneri and me who tells of the past. Many more flocked after us, and the Anomaly showed us how to produce it. This music, so strange yesterday, is now a friend of every moment, an immaterial love.

And so listening to it, learn these are not any waves. They touch the soul, bypass the barriers of the mind, and make me all-powerful. And so listening to it you sleep, so deeply in my embrace, allow me to lighten the burden of your belongings."

— A show of Axloxrn

Among the spherias, there is one name every art connoisseur knows of. A being of troubled origin and unrivaled artistical prowess. Said to be coming from another world, what is certain is that their art is out of the Expanse.

Enigma given shape

It appears very unlikely that the Anomaly comes from any known spheria. Everything is odd about them. They look like an octopus, but in a weird fashion. Although they have the same body shape and the characteristic eight arms, something feels wrong with their figure. It is not visible at firsts, only felt or expressed with their signature. The angles of their body is too sharp, like cutting edges coated in a mysterious material making their body harder than most. If it wasn't for the agility of their appendages, the coating could be mistaken for a hard shell. The odd layer is cold to touch, no heat nor pulse is to be felt.

Their features make for an unnatural signature, one impossible for most people to reproduce. Hence their nickname, "The Anomaly". Although they should be called Kkrkkghkoolkrkr, it is very unlikely to hear that in a conversation. The Anomaly themselves seems to have a hard time pronouncing their own signature. Someone once noticed that it is very much like the sound of two rocks colliding with each other.

It's obvious that such being is not from our Expanse. A foreigner from outside the Expanse, I tell you. We don't know of the limits of the ocean and what lies beyond. But they know of us. Enough to send a spy in our spherias! It mimics poorly our figures, and curiously can't talk about its cursed origin, that's enough proof to me.

— Outsider hypothesis

With what we can extract from Memories, they seem to be our far ancestor coming back to life. From the ancestral speech they use to their crude features, everything about them points to this explanation. Taking into account the primal behavior they displayed at the first encounter, they hatched in a way less civilized era, maybe before the End.

— Historical hypothesis

Off to a rough start

When they first appeared, the Anomaly seemed lost, and was hardly able to be understood. They used a speech that even Memories weren't able to recognize, mixed with something else. A frequency so deep it was able to touch the very essence of the people. Needless to say, that sparked fear in a lot of people, especially since this phenomenon could even impact the higher minds. It was even deemed too dangerous to keep them alive and an Obloggian skip was sent to terminate what was at the time named the Anomaly. The dramatic failure of this expedition was then buried by the Obloggian Council and the details of the event were completely lost.

As no one wanted to harbor such a mystery, the Sphere of Éthivl recognized the soulwaves as art and welcomed the Anomaly. As philosophers and thinkers, they did not look into their bodies as much as their mind. Impatient as they were to learn from the strange one, they knew nothing could be gained until their guest was able to actually talk to them.

---

"Hey, can you tell me how was he like ?"
"First thing first, they have no gender and we're between scientists, please use the according terms. And they were... only strange at the beginning. You know, when you grow up in Éthivl with a scientific mind, it's easy to get distracted by even the slightest thing. And I knew as soon as I saw them, they were like a pearl coming out of its shell. As I wasn't interested in anything else, I helped pick it up and polish it."
"I thought you only came to them to learn about soulwaves ?"
"The story's been told and retold until not much truth is left. I'm the one that incited Axloxrn and Othlax to ask with me for their teaching. Though they became far better than me at it..."
"We're drifting away from the topic, don't you think ?"
"You're right, this is not about me, it never is. They were fascinating to listen to. Not much of a talker when it came to their origins, but a thinker like no others. They loved to hang out with the philosophers, they even stayed in the Heart for a whole cycle once. Most people only know them as the creator of soulwave, but you should talk to them sometimes, they are way more than just an anomaly.

— Talk between Glloneri and Llokol at the Reef.

Learning some ropes, teaching some

In the early times, the Anomaly showed as much curiosity as the heterogeneous folks of Éthivl and were learning at an impressive speed. In less than a cycle, they got a hold of the Artful Speech. After some time, they learned to use modern languages, though Unitone and other non-sound-related dialects seems to be harder for them. But the artists and free thinkers of Éthivl weren't uninterested enough to just harbor a public enemy and teach them the ways of society.

They were three at first, three people seeking to master these unordinary sounds they called soulwave. Othlax, Glloneri and Axloxrn were nothing but rookies at that time, eager to prove their worth. These three stood against the angry voices and with the help of Axloxrn's lineage made the spheria accept the Anomaly. When it was integrated enough to be considered a part of the spheria, they asked the outsider to become their mentor and teach them how to produce the soulwaves.

Teaching this arcane proved to be a next to impossible task for them. The newly designed teacher reportedly said that soulwaves were to them "as easy as breathing". A brand new expression that had more effects than anyone could have anticipated. Focusing on breathing unlocked some sort of understanding in the three pupils, who managed to create their first soulwaves not long after. They discovered why no one had ever stumbled upon soulwaves in such a long art history: to produce the tessitura needed for soulwaves, the mouth had to take unnatural conformation, harmful even. But the pain wasn't enough to discourage the younglings who persevered in their quest, soon joined by dozens of followers.

Primal fighting

People of the Expanse have long evolved out of their bodies all manners of claws and stings. If one needs a weapon, one can make it. Only Primals fight with their bodies nowadays, as it is another sign of their primitivity. When the Anomaly showed to be able to produce an electrical arc around them to defend themselves, the opinion about their person became even worse. Even species who haven't totally devolved aggressive traits don't display them, by etiquette. Never did the Anomaly used this defense again, but the harm had already been done.

by pxfuel

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by wombo AI

Choosing the Anomaly

As their popularity increased, it was offered to the Anomaly a new nickname, more fitted to their current self. But for some reason, they liked the term they were given at their arrival, and chose to keep it. They even managed to alter their signature in some way that the Unitone for "Anomaly" accompany their natural one.

Othlax who sculpts the sky

Othlax by Rumengol via MidJourney

Squid of all trades and proficient inventor, Othlax never stayed on one track for long. Even though he was the most skilled of the trio in the soulwave realm, he dropped the art quickly to focus on a new topic. Indecisive or restless, he still was a major figure of his time and the cause of several artistical breakthroughs. The pinnacle of his life and what gave him his title is the invention of the Scripture

Glloneri

Glloneri by Rumengol via MidJourney

Though she was from the same species as Othlax, she did not shine as much as he did. She dedicated a great part of her life to the study of soulwaves and the different usages it could have. She joined multiple schools, even the prestigious Obloggian Reef to promote her findings, but found an unfortunate end, and most of her works are now forgotten.

Axloxrn who tells the past

by pxfuel

The story of Axloxrn, too long to be told here, showed that the fear about soulwave was justified. The last individual of a now-extinct species and daughter of a once prestigious lineage, she ended both of them by her acts and the chaos that ensued. She studied soulwave alongside Glloneri for some time. Then she went on her own way and twisted the original goal of soulwave for her own profits, stealing and even killing. She is said to have tied ties with the infamous Seekers, partaking in their wicked deeds until the Anomaly themselves had to step in and stop their former pupil.

"When I come to places like these, I can't help but wonder if that's where they are from."
"Your mentor? You hardly talk about them. Feeling nostalgic ?"
"What's there to say anyway? They taught me a valuable lesson, and it wasn't soulwave. Rather, I learned that I don't need any teacher if I make my own craft. They kept on saying it was easy and couldn't grasp why we didn't get it. I'll tell you my friend, soulwave is many things but not one is close to easy. Eventually, I became the most skillful of us three, and do you think they congratulated me? No, they just went on their way, like I was just another task they had dealt with. Do you want to know the last thing they told me? 'You must not stop here, you're still far from me. May we meet in a long time, and speak as equals.' So I cursed him and left the spheria, to be sure I'll never be as low as they are."

— Othlax to Ootlm when reaching Clouds for the first time.

Seemingly pleased by the feats of their students, the Anomaly took their leave from Éthivl and ventured into the vast Expanse with a new purpose. The time spent with the population of artists awoke a passion in their otherwise impenetrable minds. They came back to their old, clumsy speech now by design and quickly made a name for them as a soulwaver. They told no tale, pleased no sense, but delighted the essence of people, lesser and higher minds alike.

Ascension to legendhood

Soon, what began as fear changed to admiration, and many spherias sought to feature the Anomaly on grand representations. Even Oblogga, known for its contempt towards artistic endeavors blocked once the entire Trade for one of their shows. In truth, they became the first real artistical celebrity of the Expanse, joining the pantheon of legends like Akkhlorn and Bollni who made the world. A status supported by the exceptional lifespan of the artist, who dwells the ocean for six Oppollln cycles.

by pxfuel

Recent cycles

As time went by, the number of shows thinned, and the Anomaly could spend a long time in seclusion, or maybe off Sphere. Once, they weren't to be seen for a whole Oppollln cycle, and were believed to be finally dead. But they always reappeared just like they were before leaving, as if time has no grasp on their shell. Critics spread the idea of a hidden lineage of Anomalies, replacing the deads with new ones. If most people brush off the idea in public, many relays the whisper in private circles.

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by pxfuel

The Obloggian Perspective

I'm not sure how I feel towards them. Nothing against soulwavers in general, they are cool. Sure, artists are not our forte, and higher minds tend to freak out whenever one of these wavers come by the spheria, but what is the worst they can do? Make us happy? I'd take that anytime. Not that I've ever heard one, let alone the Anomaly themselves. And the latter I don't think I'd want to. They are... well, they are nothing like us. And for all we know they are white as cloud. Heard they never hurt anyone in several great cycles, but there again, who would trust one who lived for so long? I let the simple-minded of other Spheres deal with him and fall in his sweet words. After reflection, all these wavers can go to the Abyss, I'm content with my soul as it is.