Anomaly Story
It's a late, rainy night. An exhausted white-collar worker, having finally escaped the office, begins to walk through the downpour. Though their clothes are soaked and their feet are numb, they continue walking—completely unaware of the dark, gloomy stare watching their every move. Thin tendrils begin to wrap around their throat… Cut! Well, if this were one of those horror flicks, the scene would've ended there. Unfortunately, this office worker wasn't so lucky.
Clad in black, holding a black umbrella, prowling the streets on rainy nights—the Rainman roams back and forth through obscure alleyways, waiting to ambush any poor souls who left their umbrellas at home. So, as long as you have your raingear, you're safe, right? Guess again. Hypotheses like "the Rainman only manifests on rainy nights" or "the Rainman is a Bio Anomaly" are just that: hypotheses. Recent research on Rainmen has destroyed both assumptions.
Even on a clear, sunny day, you might spot an "umbrella" in some back alley that gives off an uncanny vibe—potentially a Rainman in its "umbrella" form. In reality, that neatly dressed figure in a business suit is nothing but a puppet: a human silhouette molded from long, dangling tentacles hanging down from the umbrella canopy. Its real form is the umbrella proper. The Rainman is only openly hostile on rainy nights.
However, that doesn't mean that their activity is strictly limited to certain times and weather patterns. Even in broad daylight, approaching an unclaimed umbrella could potentially lead a victim to the Rainman's domain: a grim, damp alleyway, with an aggressive Rainman waiting at the other end. The reasons behind the Rainman's behavior are still insufficiently researched.
The leading theory claims that, when under adverse weather conditions like a thunderstorm, the city resembles the Rainman's domain almost one-to-one, thus encouraging the Rainman's territorial instinct. If so, simulating an umbrella with a bag or jacket might be your barrier between life and death. Even so, for your safety and the safety of the public, please remember your umbrella.
- Characteristics
- The Rainman is not a "person", nor is it an Oddity. It is an Object Anomaly whose true form resembles a black umbrella.
- A Rainman does not have a preferred method of attack. Confrontations head-on or from behind are common. Because of this, the Rainman poses extreme danger to ordinary civilians.
- During periods of high Rainman activity, new Rainman sightings are reported consistently. As of right now, there has been no discernible correlation discovered between Rainman observation points and places with high humidity and rainfall. Recently, some Anomaly Hunters have reported seeing Rainmen use Weather Vines to alter surrounding environments, therefore expanding their "territory". Whether Rainmen possess true intelligence and sentience remains to be confirmed by Zerogon Laboratory.
- Anomaly Nexus
- Destroy the "umbrella".
- Risk Assessment
- Extremely High Risk. Ordinary citizens who approach Rainmen recklessly face severe danger. During high-activity periods, it is recommended that the Bureau of Anomaly Control dispatch specialists to carry out focused purges of Rainmen.
- Containment Status
- Four specimens are contained at the Celaeno Compound.
- Containment Procedures
- Use rack‑shaped containment units to fold and store the "umbrella" form.
- Experiment Record
- Experiment Objective: To verify how umbrella‑like "cover structures" affect Rainman's targeting behavior and aggression. Experiment Method: In a district with a confirmed Rainman presence, three groups were sent in for a controlled test. All personnel were CSU members with professional Anomaly training. Group A held umbrellas fully open over their heads, completely covering the top of their heads. Group B held backpacks, coats, and similar items over their heads, forming an umbrella‑like cover. Group C held open umbrellas at their sides, not covering their heads. The three groups each approached a Rainman in their "umbrella" state, observing and synchronously recording its reactions. Experiment Results: All three groups triggered hostile behavior from the Rainmen. However, in Group A, only 20% of personnel were actually attacked; in Group B, 60% were attacked; in Group C, every single member was attacked. This indicates that "whether the umbrella‑shaped cover fully shields the head" is the key factor in how Rainmen choose their targets.
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