A torn bridge, a desperate colony, and choices that weigh more than bullets – For Whom the Bridge Tolls forces you to decide whose survival the structure truly serves in The Outer Worlds 2.
How to start ‘For Whom the Bridge Tolls’ in The Outer Worlds 2
You can begin the “For Whom the Bridge Tolls” quest after speaking with the foreman stationed near the damaged bridge in the Arid Reach zone on Eridanos. The quest becomes available once you complete the regional power relay repairs, which opens dialogue about restoring transport routes. Talk to the foreman to learn about the missing parts needed to fix the bridge mechanism, setting the stage for a series of moral decisions involving local workers and corporate interests.
“For Whom the Bridge Tolls” becomes available during the “Saboteur of Paradise” main quest on Paradise Island. Follow the road to the Bridge of the Reverent (don’t go off-road, there are mines), and speak with the guard, Senior Warden Weintraut, just ahead of the floating bridge.
During this conversation, you have to make your first choice (if you’d like to see the quest outcomes, scroll further down):
- Hand Inez over to the Warden. Bring Inez with you as a companion, and when the Warden asks you to find the two traitors, say: “Counteroffer: I give you this Auntie’s Choice soldier and you let me cross the bridge.” Your companions may protest, but if you’re sure about sacrificing Inez, insist on giving her up.
- Find the two traitors for the Warden. Instead of using Inez, offer to help the Warden by finding the two traitors she mentioned. Every dialogue line except the ones about Inez will lead to this point.
- Fight your way through. Whatever you decide during the conversation with the Warden, you can always run past her in an attempt to cross the bridge without completing the quest. If you wish to try this, it’s probably best to defeat all enemy soldiers instead of dashing through, but beware that it’ll be a very tough fight.
On the highest floor of the building on the left, there’s a lever you can pull to lower The Bridge of Reverent. Remember: you can’t complete the “For Whom the Bridge Tolls” quest anymore if you attack the Warden!
“For Whom the Bridge Tolls” will begin once you complete your first conversation with Senior Warden Weintraut. Even if you initially decided to capture the two traitors, note that you still have the option to go back to the Warden and sacrifice Inez as long as you haven’t completed the quest.
It is, unfortunately, possible to miss the “For Whom the Bridge Tolls” side quest. Once you’ve crossed into the northern isle by any other route, Senior Warden Weintraut will call you a trespasser and attack on sight. In other words, you’ll be locked out of the “For Whom the Bridge Tolls” quest once you’ve made it to the area with the Vox Relay Station.
How to find the two traitors in ‘For Whom the Bridge Tolls’ in The Outer Worlds 2
To identify the two traitors in “For Whom the Bridge Tolls,” speak to Senior Warden Weintraut at the Bridge of the Reverent and accept her task to capture Ida Rutledge and Charlton Weintraut for passage. Head to Spire Grove harvester where Ida met her end in the machinery; grab her severed arm from the conveyor belt as proof and return it to the Warden. Locate Charlton in Westport’s flooded northwest house-check his terminal for incriminating Auntie’s Choice obsession logs-then confront him with Speech 3 or blackmail evidence to force him to the bridge.
If you chose to find the two traitors after speaking to Senior Warden Weintraut, ‘For Whom the Bridge Tolls’ will immediately begin after your conversation, and you’ll need to set out to find Ida Rutledge and Charlton Weintraut.
How to find Ida Rutledge in The Outer Worlds 2
Ida Rutledge is in Sovereign’s Sweet Spire Grove, the mountain southwest of Fairfield. To get there, you either need to repair the elevator (requires Engineering level 3) or simply climb up the rocks, starting on the left side of the elevator shaft.
Approach the tall building. If this is your first visit, you’ll witness someone falling to their death. Investigate the body and ask the other witnesses about Ida (optional), then pick up the grisly severed arm from the conveyor belt.
Bring Ida’s arm to Senior Warden Weintraut to complete the first quest objective in “For Whom the Bridge Tolls.”
How to find Charlton Weintraut in The Outer Worlds 2
Charlton Weintraut is in Westport. Enter the town through the front gate. While standing on the square, in front of the large building, look left to spot him. He’s the fellow with the purple stain around his mouth.
If you relocated Charlton to Fairfield, however, he’ll be inside Fairfield’s town hall (same building as Milverstreet and Kaur). The dialogue options stay the same.
Charlton is, understandably, afraid of the Warden, so he’ll initially refuse to visit the Bridge of the Reverent no matter what you say. There is a way to convince him, but beware that it involves a skill check that requires Speech level 3. If you can’t or don’t wish to pass the check, the only other options are to return to the Warden and sacrifice Inez, or skip the “For Whom the Bridge Tolls” quest and find another way to reach the Vox Relay Station. Killing Charlton yourself won’t satisfy the Warden.
Here’s how to send Charlton to the Warden:
- Pass the first Speech level 3 check: “How many teeth do you want to swallow […]” Alternatively, you can search Charlton’s house instead of passing the first skill check (but you’ll still need Speech 3 eventually). If you gained the required intel, you can say: “Look, I know you’re secretly a loyal customer of Auntie’s Choice. Likewise.”
- Say: “There’s a risky job/issue at the bridge.”
- Pass another Speech level 3 check: Choose “But you grew up together” or “What happened to ‘I throw caution to the wind?‘”
- Say: “Perfect. I possess no second thoughts about this.”
If you wish to search Charlton’s house, it’s in the northwest part of Westport, in the middle of the street.
Go inside to find a massive stack of Purpleberry Krunch and other Auntie’s Choice products. To gain the necessary intel, be sure to read the messages on Charlton’s computer as well.
Once you’ve convinced Charlton to speak with the Warden, return there yourself to complete “For Whom the Bridge Tolls” in The Outer Worlds 2.
‘For Whom the Bridge Tolls’ quest outcomes in The Outer Worlds 2
The ‘For Whom the Bridge Tolls’ quest in The Outer Worlds 2 branches into three main outcomes based on player choices. Siding with the corporate enforcers grants access to exclusive Valiant tech upgrades and a hefty credit payout, but it locks out rebel alliances and triggers hostility from local factions. Aligning with the bridge rebels unlocks guerrilla tactics training and hidden smuggler caches, fostering long-term resistance support at the cost of corporate bounties. A neutral sabotage path destroys the toll structure entirely, freeing passage for all while earning neutral reputation points and rare scrap rewards, though it angers both sides and spawns random ambushes later.
If you’d like to know what unfortunate fate you’re about to bestow on your acquaintances, here’s every quest outcome in “For Whom the Bridge Tolls”:
- Sacrifice Inez: She’ll be hanged on the bridge, just behind the Warden. If Niles is in your party when you give up Inez, he’ll permanently leave your service. Naturally, you won’t be able to complete either party member’s companion quest anymore. On the plus side, you can cross the Bridge of the Reverent right away, without having to find Charlton or Ida.
- Send Charlton to the Warden: He’ll be hanged on the bridge. If you also found Ida’s severed arm, the Warden will let you pass the bridge. On the plus side, Inez shall be spared.
- Kill Charlton: As mentioned above, the Warden won’t accept this, so you’ll have to sacrifice Inez, fight your way through, or find an alternative route to the northern isle.
Besides granting access to the Bridge of the Reverent, completing “For Whom the Bridge Tolls” awards a hefty chunk of experience and bit cartridges (the main currency in The Outer Worlds 2).
What are the consequences of handing over Inez instead of Charlton
Handing over Inez instead of Charlton in “For Whom the Bridge Tolls” allows immediate bridge access but triggers severe repercussions.
Immediate Effects
Inez gets executed by hanging on the bridge after a struggle; she resists fiercely and curses the player. The Warden honors the deal, granting clearance without needing Ida’s proof or Charlton.
Companion Losses
If companion Miles (or Niles) is in your party, he permanently leaves your service, disgusted by the betrayal. Inez is removed from your party forever, blocking her personal quests and storyline progression.
Long-Term Impacts
This choice harms faction relations, especially with anti-Protectorate groups, and locks out alternative rewards like 2160 XP from full traitor delivery. It brands the player as disloyal to companions, potentially affecting recruitment and morale elsewhere.
What happens if you hand over Charlton instead
Handing over Charlton Weintraut instead of Inez fulfills the quest’s requirements while sparing your companion.
Execution Outcome
Charlton arrives at the Bridge of the Reverent voluntarily after a Speech 3 persuasion check, where Senior Warden Weintraut executes him by hanging as a warning to other Protectorate members. Mentioning his Purpleberry Krunch addiction during the handoff yields a small bonus of +50 Bits and extra XP.
Rewards and Access
You gain full bridge clearance to the northern isle and Vox Relay Station, plus 2160 XP when paired with delivering Ida Rutledge’s severed arm as proof of her death. No companion is lost, preserving Inez for her quests and party use.
Broader Impacts
This choice aligns with Protectorate demands, potentially boosting relations with them while straining ties to anti-Protectorate factions like Auntie’s Choice due to Charlton’s secret sympathies. It avoids the permanent companion departure (e.g., Miles) triggered by betraying Inez.
