• Overview
  • Map
  • Areas
  • Points of Interest
  • Characters
  • Races
  • Classes
  • Factions
  • Monsters
  • Items
  • Spells
  • Feats
  • Quests
  • One-Shots
  • Game Master
  1. Night City Beyond
  3. Lore

The Afterlife

THE AFTERLIFE // 2097: THE SOUL OF THE CITY

Motto: "If you gotta go, go out a legend."
Owner & Proprietor: Kaine
Status: Unchanged. Unchallenged. Unbreakable.

Overview: The Heartbeat of the Underworld

More than a bar, more than a mercenary hub, The Afterlife is the one unshakeable constant in Night City. In 2097, as the corporate cold war fractures the globe and factions war over souls and orbital lanes, the basement-level doors of the Afterlife remain the single neutral ground recognized by every power from the lowest street samurai to the highest Arasaka board member. It is a temple to the mercenary creed, a court of reputation, and the only place in the world where a contract is more sacred than a corpo law.

The Vibe: Polished Concrete & Ghosts

The interior remains a masterclass in minimalistic menace. The converted morgue aesthetic is preserved—cold, polished concrete, subdued blue lighting, and the ever-present hum of climate control that feels like the building itself is breathing. The famous "Legend's Corner" booth, where Johnny Silverhand, Morgan Blackhand, and V once sat, is now a shrine lit by a single, eternal holographic candle. The names of the legendary dead are etched into the bar itself, a growing monument to the city's appetite for heroes. The air smells of expensive synth-whiskey, ozone from cyberware, and the faint, clean scent of bleach—a constant, subtle reminder of the bar's origins.

Kaine: The Soul of the Place

The cybernetically enhanced bartender and fixer is more than an owner; he is the arbiter, historian, and high priest. His dual mechanical arms move with a surgeon's precision as he mixes drinks and brokers world-altering deals with the same detached calm. His survival and neutrality are the bedrock of the Afterlife's sanctity. To violate the peace within his walls is to make an enemy of every legend who has ever drunk there.

  • His Role: He is the gatekeeper of reputation. He decides who is worthy of a seat, who gets the prime gigs, and who gets quietly blacklisted from the mercenary world. He maintains the "Afterlife Ledger," an encrypted, off-network record of every major contract, payment, and betrayal—the closest thing Night City has to an objective history.

The New Rules of Engagement (Unchanged, Unforgiving)

  1. No Weapons Drawn: Cyberware is to be kept passive. A Sandevistan cooling whine is acceptable; a Mantis Blade extending is a death sentence.

  2. No NET Running: The bar is a rare digital dead zone, shielded by technology even NETWATCH doesn't fully understand. Your internal agent works; active hacking does not. This is a place for talking.

  3. The Contract is Sacred: A deal brokered at the Afterlife is binding. Betrayal of such a contract doesn't just ruin your rep with a fixer; it gets you banned for life from the only place that gives your life meaning.

  4. Respect the Legends: The dead on the wall died for the dream this place represents. Disrespect them, and you disrespect every living soul in the room.

The Clientele: A Mirror to the Cold War

The patrons are a living snapshot of 2097's fractured power dynamics, all forced to share the same space.

  • Ronin Solos & Edgerunners: The core clientele. They check the physical job board (a sleek holographic panel now) and vie for Kaine's attention.

  • Corporate Liaisons: Mid-level execs from Militech, Kang Tao, and even Arasaka's Reformists, seeking deniable assets. They sit in the back booths, trying to look like they belong.

  • Fixer Summit: The bar's true power is wielded after hours, when figures like Mr. Hands, Rogue (if the rumors are true), and the up-and-comers meet to divvy up the city's pain into profitable parcels.

  • The Ghosts: Occasionally, a Netborn in a synth-body or a strangely calm individual who might be a Ghostwire Clique puppet will sit at the bar, sipping a drink and listening. Kaine serves them without comment. Even ghosts need a drink.

The Signature Drink: "The Soulkiller"

The legendary menu remains, with one infamous new addition crafted by Kaine himself.

  • The Soulkiller: A deceptively clear, viscous drink served in a chilled glass. It's a blend of Polish vodka, liquid nitrogen-chilled synth-lime, and a single drop of a neuro-inhibitor that creates a fleeting, 10-second sensation of pure, emotionless clarity—a taste of digital transcendence. It's terrifyingly popular. 1500 eddies. Only three served per night.

The Afterlife's Role in 2097

In a world where corporations own the sky, cults own souls, and nations are brand logos, the Afterlife is the last bastion of the individual's value. It is the proof that a single person with enough skill, guts, and chrome can still carve their name into the world. It's not just a bar; it's the last true democracy in Night City, where the only thing that grants you power is the proven ability to survive.

You don't come to the Afterlife to live. You come to make your death mean something. And in 2097, that's the only kind of immortality left.