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Rubacava
Rubacava
An overhead view of Rubacava
Information
Name Rubacava
Year(s) 1,2, and 4

Rubacava is the high-life port town; it is on the coast of the Sea of Lament, the great ocean that stretches across the Land of the Dead. It is apparently said that all souls come to Rubacava; hopefully to buy passage on a ship. Rubacava was created and expanded by those who eventually lingered there.

Celso Flores arrived there waiting for his wife while working in Rub-A-Mat cafe on the cliff-face. Manny Calavera arrived also looking for Mercedes Colomar. When it turns out that she is not there yet, Manny decides to wait for her and takes over at the Cafe. He spends a year in the city and soon buys the property calling it Calavera Cafe.

However, when Mercedes does arrive in town, she is captured by Domino Hurley and so Manny is forced to leave the port-town in which begins a series of events. In order for Manny to leave Rubacava, he must leave on a ship going to the other side of the world, where Meche is heading.

Manny returned to Rubacava, two years later and found it run-down and miserable. This is presumed by the takeover of Hector LeMans during Manny's absence for those two years. A strange lift device is used to get from the cliff-top to the lower port-town, yet the bridge across from the cliff to Maximino's cat-track can also be used.

Locations Within Rubacava

Calavera Cafe

Manuel Calavera sets up his casino/bar from the old Rub-A-Mat cafe on the cliff-face. He owns three roulette tables and Glottis is his piano-player/bouncer in the club. While business in the bar is dead on the Day of the Dead, the casino is always running and is visited by such guests as Chowchilla Charlie and Chief Officer Bogen. Manny owns this club on a lease and pays crime lord Maximino for keeping it. It is closed down at the end of Year 2, and its post-Calavera fate is left unknown.

The Blue Casket

Owned by Olivia Ofrenda, this club is a beatnik favourite and is dark and cold within. Behind the scenes there's deception in the air; yet open mic night can only seem to get those souls to recite poetry. The venue is popular also with beatnik revolutionaries, who express their communist views within the shadows of the club. By Year 4, however, the club has lost popularity; and the only person inside is Olivia.

Feline Meadows and the High Rollers Lounge

Feline Meadows is the giant cat-track that dominates Rubacava and is owned by kingpin Maximino. The High-Rollers Lounge is for exclusive members only, manned by elemental Aitor and a new snooty-waiter Raoul. While screens show those VIP guests the races, the best seats in the house are seen from the personal office of Maximino or from a balcony where the bets take place. The race-track also boosts a gigantic litter-box for those giant race-cats. It is not seen in Year 4.

Boarding Area

Manned at night by security officer Carla, the Boarding Area has strict surveillance by metal-detectors and even its own bomb disposal unit; this extra security is probably down to the tragedy of the Olivia I Blimp, which crashed on the tracks of Feline Meadows. It is not seen in Year 4.

Dock

The dock is for manual-labour ships only; while passenger ships are nearby the race-track here is where the quiet dockmaster Velasco spends his time day and night. In his little shack he constructs small ships to pass the time on the docks.

Morgue

Here is where the unfortunately sprouted come to Membrillo, the town coroner. Here on the slab he searches for the identity of the sprouted victims, though it seems with his equipment the search can go on forever. It is not seen in Year 4.

Scrimshaw

Toto Santos lives here and carves tattoos in the arms of sailors that come by the docks. He has many different designs in his book and carefully drills them into the arms of his clients, having covered himself in them too.

Lighthouse

The lighthouse helps incoming sailors arrive to Rubacava safely. Manny, however, remembers it as the place where Lola was killed by Nick Virago.

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