Rotown

Spoilers ahead. Are we okay with that, kid?

Rotown
Type	Factory
Location	Detroit, Michigan, American Republic
Inhabitants	ARC robots Caretaker
First visited	Issue 9

Rotown is an American Robotics Corporation (ARC) factory in Detroit, Michigan. It was once responsible for producing various general purpose robots, as well as the Henry and Betty line. This place was once considered a bastion of industrial progress for the American Republic, but the factory was eventually shut down. No humans are left to run the factory, and its only inhabitants are several ARC robots, including general purpose units, TOLBOI units, and heavy labor units.

History

On October 24, 2030, the crew arrives at Rotown to meet Theo's contact in the Weave. Ziggy is still upset about Hawker going Nova in order to allow Pax and Noam to escape Chicago. Theo states that the tour bus will have to be abandoned due to Justice's pursuit of the crew. He says that the contact will help the crew find a new ride to Maine, with the route cutting through the Canadian border. Although Theo tries to maintain a stoic demeanor, he is just as distraught as everyone else about the crew's predicament. While the crew waits for the contact, Girl draws a hopscotch grid, Sol looks after Girl, and Caretaker ponders their creation at the factory. Noam is still bitter about the argument they had with Pax at The Bad Lands Bar & Grill, and they state that they want to discuss this later. Ophelia overhears Pax and Noam's conversation and asks about their argument and past relationships. Caretaker takes interest in a wildflower and discusses what this means for their Coda path.

Pax, Theo, Ziggy, and Eli explore the factory grounds while everyone else waits near the bus. They talk about the deactivated robots scattered throughout the location and state that Caretaker likely has no emotional connection to the robots here, since they did not grow up in Rotown. Meanwhile, Eli still feels bad about taking robot parts from Caretaker's kin. At the rendezvous building, Theo asks Ziggy and Eli to keep watch outside while he and Pax enter. Theo is surprised by Pax's sudden interest in robotics, though Pax dismisses this by saying that she is trying to "know the enemy". Eventually, a Weave contact, Desmond, shows up with an old Anomal woman, Nainai. Nainai is disgusted by Desmond's constant sneezing, and Desmond is confused why there are two people at the meeting spot. Theo uses the code phrase "We're looking for batteries. Those are some nice shoes, mister", but Desmond forgets his portion of the code phrase. Desmond tells the party about Nainai's status as an Anomal and requests that they bring her to Nova Scotia, which is unexpected for both the party and Nainai. Desmond tries to rush the conversation and tells everyone that they need to get going, but Pax and Theo have questions. Desmond explains that the crew will travel by truck and that his contacts will help them cross various borders into Canada and Acadia, but gets annoyed when Pax and Theo ask for more details. He clarifies that he had to avoid the bar in Chicago because of the reports of Justice activity, and that his contacts are Justice officers that he bribed with contraband. Pax finds Desmond's mannerisms and explanations suspicious, especially when he somehow knows Justice is chasing the crew, and she can choose whether or not to vocalize her suspicions.

Upon exiting the building, Pax finds a large number of Justice officers and vehicles waiting for her outside the building, including Praetor Walker and Prefect Kim. Walker reads out various charges towards Pax, Ziggy, and Eli, such as killing officers, incitement to violence, and terrorism. Caretaker rams the bus into a Justice vehicle, creating enough confusion for the party to defeat the officers in their immediate surroundings. Caretaker pushes a Justice troop carrier out of the way and assures the party that no one else was onboard the now destroyed bus. Justice tries to trap the party with an electric force field, only for Pax to destroy the force field device by throwing her bat at it. Justice destroys the path to the parking lot and Walker pilots a mech to fight the party. If Caretaker is on the Prophet Coda, they will convince several ARC robots to help the party fight against Justice. Walker grabs Pax and opens his cockpit in order to talk her into surrendering, insisting that Anomals need to be contained for the sake of public order. Ziggy uses this chance to kick Walker hard enough to knock the mech over, allowing Pax to take Walker hostage. Kim and the other officers refuse to negotiate, so Pax and Eli use the mech's microphone to shout their combined Vox at all the officers present, including the ones in aircraft. This causes a gigantic illusion of Bituman to appear, scaring the aircraft pilots into colliding with each other and crashing to the ground, with one aircraft landing dangerously close to Walker. This enrages Kim, who ambushes Pax at the railroad tracks and stabs her, while declaring that she will kill all Anomals to avenge Walker. Caretaker throws Kim aside and throws Pax off the tracks, but is unable to escape before the train hits them, reducing them to nothing more than a head. Ziggy and Eli bring Pax to the getaway truck, where the other crew members are waiting. When Sol tries to heal Pax, Noam reveals that Pax is pregnant and that her baby could also be in danger. Despite Sol's efforts, Pax falls unconscious, which prevents complete healing because she cannot hear Sol's words.

Sometime after this event, the now active robots of Rotown find Caretaker's head and reactivates them while placing their head above a throne. Depending on their Coda, Caretaker can become a spiritual leader or mentor to these robots, or they can find solidarity with the robots in their distrust of humanity.

Physical description

Rotown consists of several brick buildings surrounding a road, and there are two railroad tracks just outside Rotown's perimeter, running parallel to the road. In the parking lot, there are several rusty safety bollards and a hopscotch grid drawn with yellow chalk. The entryway arch has two sign, with the top sign reading "AMERICAN ROBOTICS CORPORATION" and the bottom sign reading "ROTOWN", but the second "O" of the top sign is missing. Inside the factory grounds, there is a sign that reads "ARC FACTORY", several wooden boxes, several deactivated general purpose robots, white benches, a video pay phone, scrap metal, red metal cans, and a crude wooden tower. The rendezvous building has two large metal doors, green factory machines, gray metal cans, red toolboxes, a conveyor belt, and a back door. Opposite of the rendezvous building is another building with the text "ARC" at the very top and "THE FUTURE IS AUTOMATION" in the middle.

Gallery

Screenshots

Meeting the contact

Electric barrier

Factory battlefield

Caretaker's robot army

Summoning Bituman

Railroad

Robot rescue

Caretaker's throne

3D models and concept art

Entrance

TOLBOI

TOLBOI

General purpose robot

General purpose robot

General purpose robot