Welcome to Night City, precious! Don’t worry, I won’t bite. Have a drink with me and I’ll tell you about the wondrous place you now find yourself in...

All the rumours you’ve heard are true. The things that occur in Notte Rosa after dark seldom happen anywhere else. Are you perhaps here to seek these thrills? Or are you thirsting for, other, curiosities?

You’d do well to remember both visitors´ rights and obligations during your time here. The humble guest quickly adopts local customs and tries not to be overly curious about things that might seem out of place. On the other hand, Notte Rosa is a place of individuals, sights, thrills and adventures. 

How could anyone deny you, dear guest, the joys of exploring unknown waters? Just remember that every city has its own pulse and the heart of Notte Rosa certainly pumps lifeblood thicker and more enigmatic than most other places.

Why do I then insist on referring to this fine city as "Notte Rosa" instead of the commonly known “Night City”? Well, for starters I feel it’s rude to call anyone or anything by a nickname before getting better acquainted, don’t you? Second, I prefer to remember this place as it used to be - as a place of culture and refinement. Notte Rosa is the real name of this fine city whereas Night City is a relatively new sobriquet. I don’t need to tell you that Night City does indeed have a well-deserved reputation for its nightly activities, but I would also urge you to remember this city’s proud history. 

Regardless of what people and other things might tell you, Notte Rosa is the real face of this place. Although its appearance might have lessened of late, it can shine ever so brightly if you only let it.

What DOES happen in Night City then you ask? People getting together I’d answer. For better or worse. 

You see that big guy over by the bar there? Ever so subtly sliding his hand up that young shy girl’s skirt? Well, he’ll be in for one hell of a night, I’ll tell you that. Though it might not look it, his bashful companion conceals more than a smile and she’s hungry for company, so to speak.

I guess this little interruption can serve as fuel for my point - people happen in Night City! People and their stories. Although exciting and sometimes frightening in its own right, you should never make the beginner’s mistake and assume that everything is what it seems in this place. But since we’re having this discussion, I think we´re way past that point, eh precious?

If you’d dare ask me, your two most obvious questions would probably be: is this place safe and can I survive here? Excellent questions! The answer is of course a bit disappointing with a scoffed-out no, followed by a cheerful yes. 

This place isn’t safe, precious, but then again; what city truly is? If you don’t know your way around the jungle you should expect to get eaten. Poor choice of words, I know, but bear with me. Safety is a luxury of the creatively oppressed. Who would want to trade in excitement and self-fulfilment for the banalities of safety? Most people actually. Some of the most dedicated and hard working of our citizens choose to stay at home or partake very little in the howling night-time fun that some of us love more than sunlight. If you’re scared of having fun like a grown-up, you can always catch the next train to the Redmond Projects for some high-quality knitting lessons, as easily as you can don high heels and a push-up bra and go clubbing with a hellcat attitude in Diamond Lane. Your choice really.

"Can I survive here?" is another excellent question - you’re quite the insightful one, aren’t you precious? Of course you can! We wouldn’t have twenty million happy citizens if we were a warzone, now would we? Ask anyone and they’ll tell you that they feel as home here as birds in a nest. Night City offers great opportunities for creative people that want to work hard and be competitive. Slack-jawed good-for-nothings prosper here almost as well as they’d do anywhere else. But every community needs someone to pump their gas, flip their burgers and dig their graves.

Survive is another strong word that lacks meaning outside the context of the discussion. What I’m trying to say is that surviving is very relative to what you call life. There are as many ways to live as there are to die, precious. Night City just happens to offer more choices than most other places in both categories.

I see that you are eager to know more, but I have nothing further to tell you. You now possess all the information you need to start exploring the city on your own. 

I won’t lie to you, precious - you’ll end up in some pretty dark places and experience things you never thought were possible. But that’s just the kind of stuff that great stories are made off and I’ll be eager to hear them when next we meet.

Oh, and don’t worry about that pesky fear you have of the dark - in Night City, this just means you went through the necessary safety course…