Jacobstown

Jacobstown is an old, pre-War ski resort in Mount Charleston that is now a super mutant settlement in the Mojave Wasteland in 2281.

Background
Post-War, the area was of little interest to travelers and scavengers due to its remote location and lack of salvageable material. It was not until the past twenty years that it became a permanent settlement for any group. Marcus, the mild-mannered super mutant sheriff of Broken Hills, took it upon himself to find a refuge for the "broken-minded" of his kind. It proved to be more difficult than holding on to Broken Hills, but he eventually discovered Mount Charleston and decided it was a good spot to set up a community. The town mostly supports itself on the ranching of bighorners; they provide lots of meat and the town can trade the hides for other supplies with passing caravans. Wild bighorners also roam the foothills, so restocking their herd is easy.

Jacobstown is named after Jacob, a Brotherhood of Steel paladin and past traveling companion of Marcus, who together previously founded the town of Broken Hills. It was in remembrance of his old friend, who had died long ago, that Marcus renamed the old resort.

However, not all of the super mutants and nightkin were content to live under Marcus' rules. Davison and Tabitha broke off on their own, eventually winding up with their own dysfunctional super mutant communities. Though Marcus is disappointed at how things turned out, he does the best he can to take care of Lily and the other super mutants and nightkin at Jacobstown. Even so, a nightkin named Keene still represents all the other nightkin in the town, given that Marcus does not truly understand their troubles. Dr. Henry is trying his best to cure their mental illness, but progress is slow going and the nightkin are growing impatient, and another instance of rebellion is imminent unless something is done.

Aside from the conflicts within, Jacobstown suffers many threats from the outside due to their high population of super mutants; they have even tried to establish trade with the New California Republic, but an influential party of the NCR recently sent out a band of mercenaries to either displace the super mutants from the town, or remove them through more violent methods, despite the fact that the town has nothing to do with the attacks on the NCR citizens' brahmin.

Society
The super mutants of Jacobstown are an egalitarian collective. The super mutants operate in a collectivist mindset, equally sharing their resources among each other for a common goal and almost never physically fighting each other, though there are often splinter factions among its less mentally stable denizens. The super mutants themselves can be divided into three groups: the first generation super mutants from the Master's army, second generation mutants from the Enclave excavations, and the Nightkin, the Master's elite operatives and commanders.

Though there is not a caste system or a highly regimented society, the different generations of mutants tend to gravitate to different roles. The first generation mutants are generally among the smartest (and most mentally stable) and act as organizers and community leaders. Marcus, due to his experience as a sheriff and his intelligence, became the de facto leader of the mutant community. The second generation, or dumb dumbs as some call them, are general muscle and work as extra hands, as even the least intelligent of mutants are useful for their strength and manpower. Nightkin, under the representation of Keene, help protect the town from interlopers, though their main objective is to find a cure for their deteriorating condition. Although founded as a super mutant haven, members of all races are welcome as long as they behave themselves and mind their manners and avoid staring at the Nightkin.

Outside relations
The residents of Jacobstown are friendly and peaceful but despite their best efforts have few good relations. Marcus wishes to do trade with others, including the NCR, but their isolation and general anti-mutant sentiment have made this simple task difficult. They have have been scapegoated by the New California Republic, for supposedly attacking brahmin herds, despite evidence to the contrary. This has resulted in an influential party of the NCR to send out a band of mercenaries to either displace the super mutants from the town, or remove them through more violent methods, despite the fact that the town has nothing to do with the attacks on the NCR citizens' brahmin. Marcus, however, remains optimistic about establishing trade and borders with the NCR, believing it is only a matter of hard work and if the current situation can be peacefully resolved.

Despite being close neighbors with the Great Khans, neither seem very interested in the other, mostly focusing on their problems with the NCR (Jacobstown) or assimilating into the Legion (Khans). This apathetic attitude also extends itself to Caesar's Legion, as little to no contact has been made between the two groups. Marcus himself has several opinions on Caesar and his Legion, but this may or may not extend to the rest of the town.

The State of Utobitha and Jacobstown are on strictly unfriendly terms, as Utobitha tends to give mutants a bad reputation as ordnance-toting moronic raiders. Marcus even goes as far as to plant Neil as a spy/diplomat in order to seed unrest and convince as many mutants as possible to uproot and move to Jacobstown.

Layout
Given the snowy climate and the look of the town itself, it appears to be a ski lodge resort with certain modified or fortified parts, located in the nearby Mount Charleston area northwest of New Vegas. The resort's entrance is approached by Nevada State Route 157. Just inside the entrance, there is a giant sign on a tower that says "Jacobstown." Left of the entrance is a pen full of bighorners. To the right, there are a few bungalows. The large building to the rear is the Jacobstown lodge.

At the entrance of Jacobstown, where Marcus is met for the first time, there are two super mutants standing guard at both sides of the entrance. Near the one on the right, there is a hollowed-out rock which has a small heart painted on it and contains minor loot.

In addition, it is possible to meet Lily Bowen and Keene in the town for the quest Guess Who I Saw Today, and Doctor Henry for Nothin' But a Hound Dog and For Auld Lang Syne.

Buildings

 * Jacobstown bungalow
 * Jacobstown lodge

Related quests

 * Guess Who I Saw Today
 * Nothin' But a Hound Dog
 * Unfriendly Persuasion

Appearances
Jacobstown appears only in Fallout: New Vegas.

Behind the scenes

 * Jacobstown is located in the same geographical area as the real world town of Mount Charleston, Nevada.
 * The Jacobstown lodge is similar in appearance to the real world Retreat on Charleston Peak (formerly the Resort at Mount Charleston), including a nearly identical front sign, similar architecture, and inclusion of proximal ponds, fixtures, and fountains.
 * The Jacobstown bungalow portion of the town resembles the real world Mount Charleston Cabins, located a short distance west of the lodge.
 * Jacobstown sits at the same general location as the town of Mount Charleston, a small alpine community high in the mountains west of the Las Vegas Valley noted for Mount Charleston Lodge, the building in Jacobstown in based.
 * Spare Us the Cutter
 * There are three markers in the Brahmin pen that enable certain NPCs. They aren't actually used in the final game, and were seemingly just there as a possible way to quickly ease NPC numbers (between them they enable most of the NPCs in the area). Oddly there is one called JacobstownMoreNightkinParentMarker that does just what it suggests - enables four more Nightkin outside the house that is always disabled in the game (along with those NPCs). I'm not sure if this was disabled to keep down NPC numbers or as a continuity measure (or even part of the Nightkin coup plotline?) as we are told the nightkin don't like going outside much as they can't bear to be seen. The only nightkin outside in the farm area of Jacobstown in the final game is Lily so that the player can clearly see her.
 * Megan Parks handled world building for the location: asset creation, prop placement, land building, and vista.