Star-Mart

Star-Mart is a Weaver tainted company, a chain of "big box" superstores that offers a broad selection of services and merchandise to customers.

Overview

Kentucky Businessman Walter Starr founded the company, claiming the idea came to him in a dream (as recorded in his biography Visions of the Stars) With the assistance of a group of wealthy, well-connected investors; Walter built and opened the first Star-Mart location (called the Big Star) near Louisville, Kentucky in 1997. These investors were Weaver tainted, some were even Drones.

Star-Mart distinguises itself from other chain retailers by offering anything the average consumer would want to buy for an affordable price, an early marketing campaign for the Big Star was selling cars for customers to fill up with groceriers and drive home. More unusual services such as photo studios, dog grooming, and haircuts were also available. This helped bring national attention to the store and as the profits came rolling in, more Star-Marts began popping up all over the US (each one opened by Walter Starr himself)

Every Star-Mart is identical down to the blueprints, selling the same products in every state. The quality and selection is lacking, but if they don't have exactly what a customer needs they'll have something that's close enough. The breadth of their offerings drive smaller local stores out of business with lower prices, many such storeowners end up as minimum wage Star-Mart employees. New Star-Marts are often built on under-developed land, the are is clear cut and paved over to make room for the mega-store and an equally large parking lot. The large trucks that resupply the stores force highway expansion, leading to traffic jams while the construction takes place.

The Umbra in and around Star-Marts is strangled by the Pattern Web and filled up with Pattern Spiders and other Weaverlings, so much so that their influence bleeds over into the physical world; customers tend to follow the thick strands as they walk through every aisle. Unique Weaver spirits called "Starlight Spiders" can be found here, resembling Pattern Spiders wearing the red, white and blue uniforms of Star-Mart employees; these spirits can reshape items in the stores backrooms into a different type of product (similar to the Garou gift Reshape Object)

Another unique feature of Star-Marts are the "Moon Strands", these special constructions of Pattern Webs function like Moon Bridges allowing instant travel through the Umbra to different Star-Mart locations. These can be useful but all Moon Strands are heavily guarded by Weaver spirits (ones much stronger than Pattern Spiders) who must be convinced to allow Umbra travelers to use the strands. Attacking these guards will alert the Weaverlings on the other end of the Moon Strand, who will be ready for any unwelcome guests.

References

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