Merchants are strange and alien creatures that inhabit pocket dimensions in most levels, rarely appearing to sell their wares. The secret entrances to their shops must be activated by a hidden indicator!
Shops were created by high-ranking Harvester shells, who eventually rebelled and hid. They took several items of great power from the masters of the greatest weapon, the Star, to sell for large quantities of EC, hoping that the master of the Star Cathedral would one day be defeated.
There are seven possibilities for what a secret shop will be when it spawns:
All locations have a chance of spawning any combination of the six shops listed at the top (yes, a single mission may occasionally house multiple secret shops; however, missions usually don't have secret shops or only have one secret shop). These shops will spawn unique gear with significantly enhanced stats such as prototype and experimental weapons. However, this is not the only place to obtain these items as they can also drop more commonly from Elite zones, specifically from Elite bosses, as well.
Bes, Set, Ptah
Shu
Horus
Thoth
Apep
The names of merchants are based on Ancient Egyptian mythology. Bes was the protector of households; Set/Seth was the god of the desert, storms, disorder, violence and foreigners; Ptah was the god of craftsmen and architects; Shu was the god of the wind and air; Horus was the god of the sky, war and hunting; Thoth was the god of wisdom, magic, and the measurement and regulation of events and of time; Apep was the deity who embodied chaos.