The Holofront

If the Emporium Supreme is the height of Iolar commercial sophistication, the Holofront may well be the nadir. It is an area defined by lurid, questionably legal advertisements for every manner of carnal and cerebral distraction that one could dream of and many that one should not. With nearly 100,000 square kilometers of heavily "tailored" hybrid commercial and residential space, the number of dark corners and hidden opportunities is beyond reasonable reckoning, not that shame is a particularly strong cultural emotion for the area to begin with. Situated at a barely polite remove from the city center, it makes an unpleasant counterpoint to the high-end malls and upscale shopfronts favored by upstanding and wealthy citizens. Where Corpo Plaza emphasizes open spaces, grand scale, and imposing engineering, the Holofront is a cramped, filthy, and brutal place where what you see is rarely all you'll get.    

Geography

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The Holofront is a mingled mass of low-end residential slums, ghettos, and pustular commercial districts mostly focused on illicit noospheric entertainment, prostitution, low-level criminality, and black marketeering. Separating these areas from each other is mostly impossible as the parlors and storefronts are layered closely with the miserable squats of the residents, but there are two notable "districts" that have more or less consolidated from the morass.   The first is Nootown, a small city in its own right packed with digital "experience" peddlers and cut rate virtual forum providers. For those who find reality too much to bear, Nootown offers virtual escapes of every kind and for every taste if one has the credits to burn. Illegal noospheric augmentation is also a lucrative if exceptionally dangerous trade plied in these streets but never for very long. Both ISK and Emeter regularly send corporate operatives or hire out to dispatch operations that grow too successful. Mysteriously burned out storefronts and massacred backroom headquarters are a daily feature in Nootown and the absolute premium on space means new tenants are usually taking orders while the blood is still being scrubbed off the walls.   The second distinct area is the Redlight District, commonly called "The Meat Rack" by its most ardent detractors and addicted customers. While overall slightly larger in volume than Nootown, the Redlight District is also less cramped, though by most standards it's still an abysmal slum. Here flesh and chrome are on constant display and, unlike Nootown, is largely legal on its surface. The truly disgusting parts are buried deep behind layers of plastic sheeting and blood-streaked tinted glass. An estimated 40% of all cybernetic scav activity in Night City is connected to operations in the Redlight District and there's always a non-zero chance that any visit to one of the cloying parlors will be your last. Standard chemical drug dealing completes the seedy package of degenerate delights that prop up the Redlight District's cashflow.    

Demographics

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The Holofront is the most concentrated area of violent criminality in Night City. While the greatest scale of financial wrongdoing is naturally found in the corporate boardrooms of the city center, you'll find the greatest need to literally watch your back while touring the Holofront. Transients and those with poor luck tend to coagulate in the squalid habs of the Holofront so the area is diverse and bustling. The influence of the heiromat precincts is extremely limited and the bunkers are under functional siege most days of the week. Justice tends to be meted out by the street and consequently organized and semi-organized crime are rampant. Gang activity is constant in this area and occurs at greater frequency and with greater consequence than in neighboring areas of the city. New outfits come and go on an almost hourly basis before being overtaken by established gangs or imploding. The largest of these criminal organizations are in perpetual contest for control of neighborhoods and businesses after striking a perilous balance.  

List of Major Gangs in The Holofront

NAME	MOTIFS	OPERATIONAL FOCUS
505	Masks Corporatewear	505 is the largest Scav group in Night City. The phrase "in room 505" is a common colloquialism for terrible misfortune. It's a persistent rumor that they're actually partially backed by ISK for illegal research but almost no one takes that seriously.
Blacksword	Oversized Melee Weapons "Bushido"	A supposedly honorable mercenary outfit, it's basically a Solo collective for ex-military and paramilitary enforcers. The notion that they're social champions is obviously laughable and the wholesale slaughter for which they're feared is discrediting enough. They do have a good reputation among certain groups and are known to assist families in need on occassion.
The Chrome	Black Market Cybernetics Loud Vehicles	The classic boostergang on cybernetic steroids, these maniacs sport the biggest, crudest cybernetics they can find or make and have fully embraced the notion of the "chrome junkie." Never subtle, always obnoxious their claim to fame is throwing incredible parties with a lot of collateral damage.
Dirge Dancers	Assassin-chic Terror	A group of somehow cooperative psychopaths, their hierarchy seems to be based on spree killing and ritual murder. They profess to some form of absurdist Darwinian interpretation of the Trinary Will and are notorious for mutilating victims and displaying them in public places.
Headhunters	Digital Tattoos MR Clothing Crosshairs Guillotines	The premier netrunning crime org in Night City, Headhunters are derided as Emeter cosplayers but their continued hold over their areas of influence is testament to their threat. Incidents of inoppotune brain-popping are a trademark sign that Headhunters were involved and their rep as insatiable data rats is well supported as they're often willing to cooperate with other criminal enterprises if the target is likely to have some worthwhile digital secrets.
Missileboys	Explosives	A group of more-insane-than-average pyromaniacs, the Missileboys can be aptly described as hobby-terrorists. Most are assumed to be corporate dropouts from Miig or Allart screened for their destructive tendencies. Their members are known to have a flair for the dramatic and don't want just the biggest boom, they want it to be a real spectacle, no matter how many gallons of chunky salsa get made in the process.
OTO	Mob Tactics Golden Fingers	A classic organized criminal syndicate, "One Time Offer" manages a number of illegal initiatives across the Holofront and even beyond. Their protection rackets offer the same level of corporate efficiency as you'd find in the city center with much more direct repercussions. They consider themselves high-class criminals and are almost always open to negotiation as long as there's leverage to be had.
Trinary Kill	Counter-corporate Ops Anarchist Rhetoric	Perhaps the most unique of the larger criminal elements in Night City, Trinary Kill is doggedly anti-establishment and very much considers itself on the side of the people. With absolutely no faith in government or corporate oversight, Trinary Kill engages in many forms of terrorism alongside pro-social grassroots movements. They operate a number of back alley clinics and soup kitchens which has given them an excellent reputation among the lowest of Night City's citizens. Unfortunately, their zeal for sticking it to the man frequently involves distasteful collateral impact on the very people they claim to fight for.