The Empty Man

unreliable quest icon the outer worlds wiki guide 300px
Previous The Illustrated Manual
Next None
Location Unreliable
Rewards 19200xp
2200 Bit Cartridge
Incense Vessel

The Empty Man is one of the Companion Quests in The Outer Worlds. Companion Quests are optional quests that players can chose to complete in order to further their relationship with party NPCs or their alliances.

 

Vicar Max believes the book you retrieved for him in Emerald Vale holds the key to his enlightenment. He has requested your help in tracking down someone who can decipher its contents.

The Empty Man Objectives

  • Locate a Security Terminal on the Groundbreaker
    Vicar Max wants to track down the scholar who told him about the banned journal of M. Bakonu in order to translate its writing. If the scholar has been through the Groundbreaker recently, Max thinks he can track him down by accessing a data cartridge from a terminal in the Groundbreaker's security office.
    The security terminal on Groundbreaker is in a Restricted Area. Finding a Mardet ID cartirdge will allow you to use the Holographic Shroud Phineas told you about to enter and avoid hostilities.
  • Remove the  Data Cartridge from the Terminal
    The terminal in the security office should provide a hacer of Max's skill level with access to the Groundbreaker's arrival and departure shipping records.
  • Give the Data Cartridge to Vicar Max
    Speak with Max as he hacks the security data cartridge and uses the Groundbreaker's crew manifest departures registry to track the scholar's current whereabouts.
  • Track Down Reginald Chaney
    Vicar Max has tracked the scholar to a rented domicile in Fallbrook on Monarch. Take Max to visit Reginald Chaney and ask him about the banned journal.
  • Search Reginald Chaney's Domicile
    The scholar, Reginal Chaney, isn't at home. Perhaps something in his domicile will provide an indication as to where he's gone.
  • Find Reginald Chaney
    A note in Reginald Chaney's domicile in Fallbrook indicated he's been panning gold from a river on the outskirts of town. Take Max to search for Reginald along the river bed.
  • Take Max to the Hermit on Scylla
    The "scholar"turned out to be someone else entirely - an ex-con Max met in prison. But through Reginald, you were able to learn that the journal was originally the property of a Philosophist who rusticates in a life of hermitage on Scylla.
    Vicar Max wants to talk to this hermit
  • Partake in the Meditative Aid to Join Max on his Vision Qust
    Enter the hermit's meditation chamber and partake in the meditative aid the hermit has provided in order to experience a vision quest with Vicar Max
  • Help Max Fulfill his Vision Quest
    Help Max navigate and fulfill his vision quest by confronting any hallucinations he may encounter during the experience
  • Check on Max's Mental State
    Max appears to have finished hallucinating. Speat to him to determine if he found the answers he was looking for

 

The Empty Man Walkthrough

This quest is only available if you have completed The Illustrated Manual and recruited Vicar Max into your party. Once aboard the Unreliable, talk to Max and ask about his religion and interests to find out that he is in search for a translator, and has ideas of where to get one. He will mention going to the Groundbreaker and hacking the security terminal to identify and locate the translator.

Once at the Groundbreaker, you can approach the security desk past customs and talk to Pvt. Lee Flores. You can ask him what he does and then ask if they do tours - he will mention that if you clear a bounty and make good with Cmdt. Sanita or help Chief Tennyson fix the head you might get a thank you tour. You can try persuading (45) for him to do you a favor, or bribe for 710 bits. (3600 xp for getting in)

If you cannot do the persuasion check, grab the Mardet ID Cartridge that is laying on top of some boxes, on a smaller room near the workbench.

The persuade check will allow you to enter the room without being attacked. Sneak toward the cartridge and eject it from the terminal (3600xp). You can also read some notes on the bounty and confiscated goods. You will now have Groundbreaker Customs Databank as a quest item.

Talk to Vicar Max again (3600xp) and he will identify Reginald Chaney who has joined a Sublight salvage crew and has a domicile in Monarch - Fallbrook. Use perception to ask what he's hiding from you and he'll say he just thought it was a long shot.

Once you arrive at Fallbrook in Monarch, go into Reginald's residence by the Sublight Dry Goods & Sundry to earn 3600xp. Inside, you'll find Reginald Chaney's Gold Panning Log and learn that he has found a spot that yields some nuggets on the outskirts of town.

Find Reginald Chaney chilling by the river, and Vicar will confront him. You'll find out that Max was lying about finding a scholar - Reginald is a former immate that shared prison with Max. Max wants revenge for being tricked, but Reginald claims he can find a translator. You can help Max calm down or encourage him to go on. If you let Reginald explain, he will reveal the book belongs to some expert on Philosophism residing in Scylla. Let Reginald go and you'll get 3600xp. Max will later be thankful that you calmed him down. If you encourage him to be violent Reginald will still explain about Scylla, and then you can tell Max to kill him if you want. You will gain Negative Reputation with SubLight Salvage & Shipping though.

If you talk to Max he will reveal that he ended up as a prison guard due to revealing an unsanctioned belief to a superior. You can ask why he lied to you and he will apologize. You can kick him off your party or accept the apology.

Go to Scylla

Next head to Scylla in your ship. You'll want to head east to the Abandoned Mining Outpost. There will be Marauders, Primals and Automechanicals in the way so be careful. Once there, head inside the Hermit's Lodge and speak to the Hermit.

If you killed Reginald you can try to persuade (70) the hermit to help Max. Otherwise, she cannot be convinced and you will gain 3,150 XP. Speak to Max to gain a further 19150 XP and some Bit Cartridges which will complete the quest.

If you didn't kill Reginald: Talk to the hermit and ask for a translation, and you can observe a conversation between Max and the Hermit that will result in her asking for certain ingredients that would "speed up the process" for Max. Agree and you'll get 3600xp and your quest will update.

Head over to the room next door and interact with the incense to experience a cutscene and obtain 3600xp. Encourage the conversation and keep it positive if you want a positive outcome. At the end of the vision, Max will be a lot calmer. 19200xp, Incense Vessel, 2200 Bit Cartridge

This finishes Vicar Max Questline.

 

The Empty Man Rewards

Unlocks quest: None

Other Rewards: 19200xp, 2200 Bit Cartridge, Incense Vessel

 

 




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    • Anonymous

      Quest can still be completed after killing Reginald if you've collected enough books (those random ones laying around that can't be sold and show up in crew quarters), the hermit will be thankful for you bringing her reading material + travelling so far and will send you to incense room.

      • Anonymous

        If you're testing out various companion responses from the incense, beware. Fast traveling from inside the ship to the Hermit's Lodge makes the door not open, instead it just says "Sealed". The solution is to exit the ship, then fast travel to the Lodge.

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