C.1. Street Rat

A "Street Rat" is a person who lives, or primarily makes his or her living, on the Street of Metamor City, the lowest part of the metropolis in both the literal and economic senses. Most of this territory is home to warehouses and heavy industry, but there are residential neighborhoods scattered throughout that house Metamor's poorest citizens. The Street is also a hunting ground for many monstrous creatures that fear the light of the sun -- the heavy shade of the buildings and skyways overhead keeps most of the Street under a perpetual twilight gloom.

There are four kinds of people to be found on the Street: blue-collar workers commuting from higher up, the desperately poor, the monstrous predators mentioned earlier, and many of those who work in the Fringe sector -- criminal or ethically dubious professions such as drug dealing, gun running, burglary, gambling, swoop racing, or unlicensed prostitution. Many runners get their start on the Street and do most of their business here -- stealing valuables or information for one faction or another, or acting as couriers to transport urgent or sensitive messages and materials. Even those in the Fringe who live higher up will often conduct much of their business at Street-level, where police presence is less troublesome and people tend to ignore anything that doesn't directly concern them.

Few Street Rats are true mundane humans; surviving in this world generally requires at least a little something extra, some kind of supernatural gifting or other edge that mundane humans just don't have. Lutins and Breed, on the other hand, do well at this level just because of pure durability and stubborn resilience, even if they don't have any magical talents.

An individual with this social status is probably poor, working in the Fringe, or both. He or she is unlikely to be well-known outside of a small circle of friends and business partners, though some gang leaders may be known to the MCPD or the other factions. Housing at this level is usually old, dingy and decaying, despite the best efforts of the residents to maintain it. Crime and gang activity are rampant, and many residents are forced to pay protection money or otherwise ally themselves with gangs in order to shield themselves from marauding thugs. Many turn to criminal or Fringe activities to supplement their income. Still, there are a lot of honest, hard working people down here who work in the factories, doing what they can to improve living conditions for themselves and their families. Few have any hopes of "cleaning up" the Street; their only ambition is to save enough money to find someplace to live on the next level up.

On the other hand, Fringers who only work at Street-level often see it as their playground, a dangerous but convenient place to do the business that shouldn't be seen in the light of day. When you want a clandestine meeting, a place to hide out, or a swoop-racing track where you can make some quick cash, the Street is often the best bet.