🍻 The Forlorn Hope
“Leave your troubles at the door. And your grenades.”
📋 Quick Reference
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | Edgerunner Bar / Veterans’ Hub |
| Location | Little China, Watson |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Owners | John “The Professor” Freeman & Marianne Freeman |
| Clientele | Solos, veterans, edgerunners, retired operators |
| Services | Bar, live music, ripperdoc clinic, Tech workshop, lodging |
📝 Overview
The Forlorn Hope is Night City’s other legendary edgerunner bar — older, quieter, and more intimate than The Afterlife. Founded in 2011 as a watering hole for veterans of the Central American conflicts, it evolved over decades into a home away from home for the city’s most dangerous professionals.
It isn’t as famous as the Afterlife, but those in the know see it as the real thing. The clientele is mostly hard-bitten edgerunners, experienced military or law enforcement pros, and some of the best Solos in the Greater Night City region. Even Rogue uses the Hope to vet unproven crews before graduating them to Afterlife-level work — and nobody, not even Rogue, crosses Marianne.
🏛️ The Bar
The original Forlorn Hope was a run-down hotel in Little China, down a few stairs below street level, tucked into a cozy three rooms with a well-stocked bar to one side. Bullet marks on the walls and faded bloodstains on the concrete just added to the character.
Unlike the loud nightclub atmosphere of the Afterlife, the Hope has the feel of a quiet neighborhood bar. Live music bursts from speakers that might be older than you, a band plays on stage, and patrons drink, dance, and flirt. Weapons are allowed — but violence is not tolerated. Start something, and the regulars will finish it for you.
👥 Staff (2045 Era)
| Name | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Marianne Freeman | Owner / Bartender | Pink-haired, runs day-to-day operations. Feared and respected. |
| John “The Professor” Freeman | Co-Owner | Focuses on helping 4th Corp War veterans find services. Diagnosed with ALS in 2041. |
| Petra David | Head of Security | 4th Corporate War veteran. Keeps order since 2031. |
| Doc Stoic | Ripperdoc | Operates the basement clinic. Inherited practice from Sundance. |
| Backhand | In-house Tech | Maintains gear and the Hope’s NET Architecture server. Hired 2044. |
| Edelweiss | Head Cook | Niece of co-owner Bill Dolarhyde (KIA 2023). |
| Grace Steel | House Band Leader | Fronts The Distortions. Former Brawler/Solo. Won the position in 2045. |
| Valence | Server | Former Maelstrom captive, rescued by the Freemans in 2044. |
The Distortions (house band): Grace Steel, Chevalier, Legacy, Random.
🛠️ Services
The Hope offers much more than drinks:
- Ripperdoc Clinic — Basement-level, run by Doc Stoic. Basic cyberware installation and trauma care.
- Tech Workshop — Backhand handles gear repair and modifications.
- Lodging — Favorite regulars who need a place to sleep can crash upstairs.
- Fixer Meets — Rogue and other Fixers use the Hope to interview new talent.
📜 History
Founding & the Wars (2011–2023)
Founded in 2011, the Hope originally catered to veterans of the Central American conflicts (SouthAm Wars). Over time it became an edgerunner hangout. During the 4th Corporate War in 2023, Militech and Arasaka forces converged on Little China. Arasaka SpecOps tried to occupy the Hope as a hardpoint. The top floor was fragged by mortar rounds, destroying the Freeman apartment. The fighting killed co-owner Bill Dolarhyde, Solo/Fixer Robert “Kronos” Cronenberg, and ripperdoc Andy “Needles” Chen.
The Night City Holocaust (2023)
On August 20th, Arasaka Tower was nuked. The Freemans converted the Hope into a survival shelter — the bar became a triage center, the kitchen became field surgery. It functioned like a M.A.S.H. unit with a bandstand for two years.
Recovery & Reopening (2026–2045)
- 2026 — Ingénue hired, establishes the Willows (female survivor support group) at the Hope.
- 2028 — Rogue asks the Willows to help rescue young Trace Santiago from Kiroshi.
- 2031 — The Hope reopens as a bar. Petra David joins as head of security.
- 2032 — Renovations complete. The building is now one floor shorter than pre-war.
- 2041 — The Professor diagnosed with ALS.
- 2044 — Valence rescued from Maelstrom; Backhand hired as in-house Tech.
- 2045 — Grace Steel’s band wins the house band position. The Hilaria 2045 incident: Bozos biosculpt and mindwash captured civilians, then unleash them on the Hope in a sickening attack.
🔗 Related
- The Afterlife — The other legendary edgerunner bar; louder, flashier, harder to get into
- Rogue — Uses the Hope to vet unproven crews
- Little China — District where the Hope is located
- Maelstrom — Lost territory nearby after the nuke
- Team Monster — Known regulars when not on assignment
(Sources: CRB p.313; Tales of the Red: Hope Reborn; Tales of the Red: Streetstories; Danger Gal Dossier; Interface RED Vol.2)