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The Illustrated Manual
The Outer Worlds

The Illustrated Manual

Follow this step-by-step walkthrough to complete 'The Illustrated Manual' companion quest for Vicar Maximilian in The Outer Worlds, including finding the heretical book.

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Follow this step-by-step walkthrough to complete 'The Illustrated Manual' companion quest for Vicar Maximilian in The Outer Worlds, including finding the heretical book.

Alright, let's get this quest, 'The Illustrated Manual,' sorted out. It's a companion quest for Vicar Maximilian, and you'll kick it off by chatting with him in the Edgewater church of Scientism over on Terra 2. He's looking for a specific heretical book.

Walkthrough
  1. 1
    First things first, head to Edgewater and find Vicar Maximilian. He's usually hanging out in the church. He'll task you with finding a heretical book for him.
  2. 2
    Once you've got the quest, you'll need to leave Edgewater. Head out through the northwestern gate and follow the road. Keep an eye out for ruins and marauders – you'll likely run into a group right at a fork in the road. You can either take them on or try to sneak by.
  3. 3
    Continue following the road, and you'll encounter another group of marauders near some buildings. This is your destination. If you want to avoid a fight, you can use the boxes on the south side of these buildings to get onto the roof and find an entrance inside.
  4. 4
    Once you're inside, no matter how you got there, make your way to the ground floor. Look for a back room; you'll find a datapad there. This datapad will tell you that the books you're after have been moved to a cave near the river.
  5. 5
    Now, you'll need to find this cave. Head towards the Edgewater bridge that leads to the southwestern gate, and follow the river heading north/northwest. Keep an eye out for the cave entrance.
  6. 6
    Enter the cave and proceed cautiously. You're looking for a side cavern to the northwest. Be careful as you approach it, because there will be traps on the floor. You can shoot them to detonate them from a safe distance.
  7. 7
    Inside this side cavern, you'll find a locked safe. You'll need a Lockpick skill of at least 5 to open it. Inside, you'll find the **Journal of M. Bakonu**, which is what Vicar Max is after.
  8. 8
    With the journal in hand, return to Vicar Max in Edgewater. Give him the book, and you'll witness his rather dramatic reaction when he discovers it's written in French. He'll then explain that this book was the whole reason he came to Edgewater.
Tips
  • You can avoid the marauder encounters by sticking to the edges of the road and using the environment for cover.
  • If you're not great at lockpicking, you might want to bring a companion with a high skill or use a skill magazine before attempting to open the safe.
  • Pay attention to the datapad's clues; they're pretty direct about the book's new location.

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