The Fringe Traders are the undisputed capitalists of Entropy Estates, traders who have found a niche for themselves in the shadows of the large corporations. They are individualists who bow to no higher authority and see the freedom that the fringe districts offer them as an opportunity to conduct their business away from the monitored and regulated markets. Their business model is ruthlessly efficient: they offer what is needed at prices they dictate, with no room for negotiation.
The Fringe Traders move through the broken streets of the Estates with a cool professionalism, a move that allows them to do business with the Neon Circuit Punks as well as The Codex and anyone else who survives in this forgotten corner of the city. Altruism is a foreign word to them, a concept that has no place in their transactions. They act not out of kindness, but out of profit, and their loyalty is solely to the sound of metal or the whisper of profit.
Their independence from the corporations is both a strength and a sign of their exile. In the glittering world of power and wealth dominated by the big corporations, the Fringe Traders find no place, refusing to submit to the shackles that come with such affiliation. They are outsiders among outsiders, stranded in Entropy Estates not by failure but by the choice of freedom.
In a world where every move is monitored and every transaction recorded, the Fringe Traders are the masters of the underground, the purveyors of goods that would otherwise be hard to find. Their businesses are firmly anchored in the economy of Entropy Estates, an essential part of the ecosystem based on mutual benefit – as long as you’re willing to pay their price.
In the overshadowed world of Entropy Estates, there are few rules that are respected by all. One such rule is the unwritten law that Fringe Traders may not conduct business within the dimly lit walls of The Glitch Inn. This taboo is so ingrained in the culture of the complex that it is never questioned. The Glitch Inn is a neutral ground, a sanctuary where the residents of the Estates can seek relief from the ever-present struggles of survival. The bar is a place of peace and community, and the cold world of commerce would only sully this rare refuge. The Fringe Traders, ruthless as they may be in their dealings, strictly respect this rule, perhaps because they know that breaking this law could shake the fragile order they use to their advantage.
