Did you sell Saardia to Kematu?

[Bomb Shot]

Boom, no more barmaid for you.
And the inn will never be the same.

[@%thesock10150alpha49]

Originally posted by Bomb Shot:

Character or gold, which one you cannot get it back?

Gold, obviously. Saadia always tries to sell me a drink and then harass me for "asking too many questions" that I definitely didn't. And the Redguards never leave the gate of Whiterun like they're supposed to. Both sides of that conflict irritate me, so the sooner they're gone the better.

[HazakTheMad]

I turn in Sadia, then kill Kematu right before he uses the paralyzes her.
I get a boss fight without going thru a dozen warriors and get to take him on.

[Heimdall313]

Yes because it gets rid of multiple annoying NPCs. Its a shame I can't sell Nazeem to them.

[Arthur two sheds Jackson]

I find barmaid kinda annoying, sitting in an inn then they force dialogue with me...nah she is better out of the picture hehe

[Kennedy]

If you don't finish the quest immediately, there is a random encounter with two of their mercs assaulting a random redguard woman on the road. One of them wants to take her and be done with it, but the other one notices a missing scar in her face. Only then they leave her alone.

Saadia is right, they are mercinaries or headhunters. If her government wants her, they can come and take her themselves and don't send mercs to capture her. I always kill Kematu. You'll get her reward and Kematus gold as well this way, when you loot his body.

[Joan]

Originally posted by Lil Kennedy:

If you don't finish the quest immediately, there is a random encounter with two of their mercs assaulting a random redguard woman on the road. One of them wants to take her and be done with it, but the other one notices a missing scar in her face. Only then they leave her alone.

Saadia is right, they are mercinaries or headhunters. If her government wants her, they can come and take her themselves and don't send mercs to capture her. I always kill Kematu. You'll get her reward and Kematus gold as well this way, when you loot his body.

Yes and that encounter shows why Kematu is telling the truth. Lets say I was a mercenary and I was looking for a Redguard women with a scar on her face and I only cared about the pay, what do you think I would do if I met someone who fit the description of that women but didn't have the scar? Assuming the only thing I care about is the money than the logical course of action is to give her that scar if you catch my meaning. My point is that I certainly wouldn't care if it was really the person we were looking for, and the fact that they leave helps prove to me at least that Kematu is in the right (along with Hammerfell's current relationship with the dominion of course but lets not get into that).


Anyway if you want the gold that's fine, if you want to keep the barmaid that's perfectly fine, but at least to me Kematu's story is far more believable, with the current state of hammerfell and all the other stuff that has been mentioned.

[Melkolf]

Originally posted by Lil Kennedy:

If you don't finish the quest immediately, there is a random encounter with two of their mercs assaulting a random redguard woman on the road. One of them wants to take her and be done with it, but the other one notices a missing scar in her face. Only then they leave her alone.

This road/wilderness encounter fires before the quest in many of my games, probably because I don't chase the main quest to that point. The encounter by the gates on the return to Dragonreach stops that quest as far as I was aware. But knowing Beth it probably can fire even after one's finished it one way or the other.

I usually fury the two as they walk away from the woman and kill the survivor. It's invariably an easy source for a couple of early game scimitars, and some odd clothing. The woman never seems to notice, she just carries on wandering around the spot - very suspicious if you ask me, scar or no scar.

[JediLordNathan]

My stance is to always kill Kematu, not because I fully believe Saadia's story, but the Alik'r are something I hate; vigilantes and spies, since they are willing to break the laws of a soveriegn Empire and its cities then they are no better then bandits and as such I treat them as Bandits, besides Kematu is a self-righteous prick the kind of character I HATE in video games and real life and if there is an option to kill them in a game I will do so. Suffice to say I'm team Saadia mainly out of a disdain for Kematu and the fact that his case is also VERY suspect, if they have a legitimate case then why are they hiding in a cave with bandits also why aren't they trying diplomatic channels, also lets be honest the Alik'r are by all rights assassins its who they are working for that is hard to pin down and thus I treat them like the Dark Brotherhood as my enemies. Today I actually walked into the cave and cut Kematu's head off before he could even get a word because I've already made my choice in advance and done so plenty of times no need to talk to him, I'll just kill him straight up

[JediLordNathan]

Originally posted by Melkolf:

Originally posted by Lil Kennedy:

If you don't finish the quest immediately, there is a random encounter with two of their mercs assaulting a random redguard woman on the road. One of them wants to take her and be done with it, but the other one notices a missing scar in her face. Only then they leave her alone.

This road/wilderness encounter fires before the quest in many of my games, probably because I don't chase the main quest to that point. The encounter by the gates on the return to Dragonreach stops that quest as far as I was aware. But knowing Beth it probably can fire even after one's finished it one way or the other.

I usually fury the two as they walk away from the woman and kill the survivor. It's invariably an easy source for a couple of early game scimitars, and some odd clothing. The woman never seems to notice, she just carries on wandering around the spot - very suspicious if you ask me, scar or no scar.

That encounter funny enough is actually bugged that it will continue going regardless of whom you side with in the quest, the Unofficial patch fixes it so I'm not going to take that as hard evidence of Kematu being right as it is a bug that it is going after you finish the quest

[JediLordNathan]

Originally posted by Jinjay:

Originally posted by Lil Kennedy:

If you don't finish the quest immediately, there is a random encounter with two of their mercs assaulting a random redguard woman on the road. One of them wants to take her and be done with it, but the other one notices a missing scar in her face. Only then they leave her alone.

Saadia is right, they are mercinaries or headhunters. If her government wants her, they can come and take her themselves and don't send mercs to capture her. I always kill Kematu. You'll get her reward and Kematus gold as well this way, when you loot his body.

Yes and that encounter shows why Kematu is telling the truth. Lets say I was a mercenary and I was looking for a Redguard women with a scar on her face and I only cared about the pay, what do you think I would do if I met someone who fit the description of that women but didn't have the scar? Assuming the only thing I care about is the money than the logical course of action is to give her that scar if you catch my meaning. My point is that I certainly wouldn't care if it was really the person we were looking for, and the fact that they leave helps prove to me at least that Kematu is in the right (along with Hammerfell's current relationship with the dominion of course but lets not get into that).


Anyway if you want the gold that's fine, if you want to keep the barmaid that's perfectly fine, but at least to me Kematu's story is far more believable, with the current state of hammerfell and all the other stuff that has been mentioned.

It may be but then again it has holes, why is he hiding out in a cave, why is he not resolving this diplomatically, why is he willing to break laws. He may have a good reason but he is still a criminal Saadia may or may not be whom he is looking for but in Skyrim she isn't breaking any laws, also I don't think the Empire has an Extradition treaty with Hammerfell hell I don't think it will stay independent from the Empire long-term. As it stands he may have a case but he is still breaking laws AND he is most certainly a trained assassin regardless of whom he is loyal to and for that alone he deserves to be treated like the Dark Brotherhood, killed as soon as possible. At least killing him actually gives a reward; also whatever he could pay me with is money I can just as easily take off his corpse

[HazakTheMad]

Kinda bit of a necro post, this was a year old almost.

[Liquid Inc]

Originally posted by HazakTheMad:

Kinda bit of a necro post, this was a year old almost.

that aside...

Originally posted by jedi7000nathan/sevenbillionjedi:

why is he hiding out in a cave, why is he not resolving this diplomatically, why is he willing to break laws.

Probably because redguards are not liked by , and don't like, the empire very much given the treaty. They're also against the thalmor, which has a tangible presence in skyrim. If they tried to resolve it diplomatically, the thalmor would probably have them assassinated, or simply arrest them all.

Only way to find her would be to remain relatively secret and work in the shadows.

Originally posted by jedi7000nathan/sevenbillionjedi:

He may have a good reason but he is still a criminal Saadia may or may not be whom he is looking for but in Skyrim she isn't breaking any laws, also I don't think the Empire has an Extradition treaty with Hammerfell hell I don't think it will stay independent from the Empire long-term.

That doesn't actually matter. Saadia sold out hammerfell, so they hired the mercenaries to bring them back IIRC (i could be remembering it wrong) Since Skyrim is in turmoil, no high king, middle of a civil war, has roving bands of thalmor, that's probably the logical choice.

Originally posted by jedi7000nathan/sevenbillionjedi:

As it stands he may have a case but he is still breaking laws AND he is most certainly a trained assassin regardless of whom he is loyal to and for that alone he deserves to be treated like the Dark Brotherhood, killed as soon as possible. At least killing him actually gives a reward; also whatever he could pay me with is money I can just as easily take off his corpse

That depends, he doesn't actually kill saadia in front of you, as an "assassin" would. They are mercenaries, hired to bring her back. They are atleast true to their word in that instance.

[JediLordNathan]

Originally posted by Liquid Inc:

Originally posted by HazakTheMad:

Kinda bit of a necro post, this was a year old almost.

that aside...

Originally posted by jedi7000nathan/sevenbillionjedi:

why is he hiding out in a cave, why is he not resolving this diplomatically, why is he willing to break laws.

Probably because redguards are not liked by , and don't like, the empire very much given the treaty. They're also against the thalmor, which has a tangible presence in skyrim. If they tried to resolve it diplomatically, the thalmor would probably have them assassinated, or simply arrest them all.

Only way to find her would be to remain relatively secret and work in the shadows.

Originally posted by jedi7000nathan/sevenbillionjedi:

He may have a good reason but he is still a criminal Saadia may or may not be whom he is looking for but in Skyrim she isn't breaking any laws, also I don't think the Empire has an Extradition treaty with Hammerfell hell I don't think it will stay independent from the Empire long-term.

That doesn't actually matter. Saadia sold out hammerfell, so they hired the mercenaries to bring them back IIRC (i could be remembering it wrong) Since Skyrim is in turmoil, no high king, middle of a civil war, has roving bands of thalmor, that's probably the logical choice.

Originally posted by jedi7000nathan/sevenbillionjedi:

As it stands he may have a case but he is still breaking laws AND he is most certainly a trained assassin regardless of whom he is loyal to and for that alone he deserves to be treated like the Dark Brotherhood, killed as soon as possible. At least killing him actually gives a reward; also whatever he could pay me with is money I can just as easily take off his corpse

That depends, he doesn't actually kill saadia in front of you, as an "assassin" would. They are mercenaries, hired to bring her back. They are atleast true to their word in that instance.

Regardless I was hired by Saadia to kill him and his goons and I fully honor my word of that agreement no negotiations kill them and leave, he could try to make all the arguements about morals that he wants BUT that would not matter to me because any reward he can offer me is money I'll just take off of his corpse and then I'll get my orginal sum. I don't care personally whether or not they are right or not they are simply my targets and since they are hiding out with Bandits I'm not inclined to give them any quarter whatsoever. Besides any local that found out about these guys would likely do the same so I'd be doing Skyrim a favor by ridding it of Kematu's goons. Besides ultimately I don't care for their cause they are just enemies to kill and Saadia offers the better reward by the sheer fact I can just kill these guys take their loot and sell it for MORE then they'd have paid me essentially I don't have an RP reason to do so hell I didn't even let Kematu speak nor have I ever really I just kill him and his goons like they are additional bandits, if you hide with bandits you are going to be killed like them. Besides even if Saadia is a Thalmor agent she is functionally on that the Dominion would kill so I'm not screwing the Thalmor over by turning her in; personally I think killing these guys is perfectly fine and to the benifit of the Empire in all honesty because that's less enemes for them to fight during the inevitable reconquest of Hammerfell which will follow an Imperial victory in a Second Great War against the Dominion.

[Melkolf]

Originally posted by jedi7000nathan/sevenbillionjedi:

Originally posted by Melkolf:

This road/wilderness encounter fires before the quest in many of my games, probably because I don't chase the main quest to that point. The encounter by the gates on the return to Dragonreach stops that quest as far as I was aware. But knowing Beth it probably can fire even after one's finished it one way or the other.

I usually fury the two as they walk away from the woman and kill the survivor. It's invariably an easy source for a couple of early game scimitars, and some odd clothing. The woman never seems to notice, she just carries on wandering around the spot - very suspicious if you ask me, scar or no scar.

That encounter funny enough is actually bugged that it will continue going regardless of whom you side with in the quest, the Unofficial patch fixes it so I'm not going to take that as hard evidence of Kematu being right as it is a bug that it is going after you finish the quest

Unlike the modern Western world Skyrim doesn't have instant communication because characters are not wandering around with faces glued to the screens of their smart phones.

It is quite feasible, and highly possible if not probable in the game world of Skyrim, for others sent out to search have not learnt or been told that the scarred woman has been found and dealt with. In short, they haven't been told to stop searching.

Thus I don't regard the encounter after the quest is finalised in Whiterun as a bug but something more than possible and actually probable within Skyrim.

Nor do I think the UP is correct in killing the encounter off. It's just one more example of where patch authors over-reach because they are not role-playing in the game world but assessing everything according to their own limited viewpoint of what they regard as 'logical' or 'real'.

I still use the UP - but that removal bugs me no end...

[Von Faustien]

why hunt a thalmor spy whose burned all her bridges and is stuck serving ale and getting piched on the but by smelly nords when you can hunt actual thalmor?

Kematu's story makes more sense and the Alikir are in no way shape or form from any of the lore friends of the dominion but shes a broken tool and its a better use of time braking the thalmors assets that are still of use.