The Best Way to Complete "In My Time of Need."

[Venom Candle]

Step 1. Get approached by Alik'r warriors speaking of a Redguard woman, and agree to help them find her.

Step 2. Go to the Bannered Mare and speak to Saadia. Inform her of the Alik'r and agree to help her.

Step 3. Go to the dungeon and talk to the captured Alik'r warrior, pay his fine, and learn of Kematu's location at Swindler's Den.

Step 4. Go to Swindler's Den and kick some bandit hide, but spare Kematu and his men.

Step 5. Listen to Kematu and agree to his plan to lure Saadia.

Step 6. Convince Saadia to meet you by the Whiterun Stables, where she and Kematu will meet. Make sure this is done in the dead of the night.

Step 7a. Let Kematu paralyze Saadia, collect your reward from him, and then kill both him and Saadia.

Step 7b. Kill Kematu right then and there, collect your reward from Saadia, and then kill her.


This way, there is no question of "Who is the Thalmor Agent?" as both of them are dead.

[Hyen《A》 ♧]

Haha noice. Reminds me of the Dark Brotherhood assassination ending. Where your victim asks you to kill the one who ask you to kill him as a favour. Really neat stuff.

Still, I sided with Kematu most of the time (because there is one playthrough where I am a Thalmor Justiciar) because Saa'dia's story doesn't add up. Hammerfell citizens all despise the Thalmor but she runs because she spoke out against the Aldmeri Dominion? Hammerfell too has kicked pointy-eared booties out of their home last I checked so Saa'dia is more likely the liar. Just my 2 cents.

[alexander_dougherty]

There is no way of knowing, and since I refuse to kill someone without some sort of proof (apart from when I do the DB quests, because I want the Ancient Assassin's armour set) I leave her alone.

Hyen says her story doesn't add up, and it doesn't. But when I talked to Kematu parts of his story don't add up either, I can't remember what exactly but it did sound like a cover up on their part as well.

Which brings me back to never knowing who is telling the truth.

[Dexter]

Also be level 10 or higher to get good loot from both. They can have gems worth good amount of money.

[Hyen《A》 ♧]

Originally posted by alexander_dougherty:

There is no way of knowing, and since I refuse to kill someone without some sort of proof (apart from when I do the DB quests, because I want the Ancient Assassin's armour set) I leave her alone.

Hyen says her story doesn't add up, and it doesn't. But when I talked to Kematu parts of his story don't add up either, I can't remember what exactly but it did sound like a cover up on their part as well.

Which brings me back to never knowing who is telling the truth.

Pretty sure it's the part where Kematu is hiding with a bunch of bandits. The thing is when I killed Saa'dia in front of Kematu he gave me that "what the hell" reaction.

[MysticMalevolence]

I am pretty sure that it is just a petty disagreement, and both sides are only pretending the Thalmor are involved as a way of making it seem more important to others than it actually is.


EDIT: since I went a bit off topic, I actually agree with the OP most of the time with how I handle the situation--If you bring the Ebony Blade, they both count as a charge, which can be quite handy.

[Hyen《A》 ♧]

Originally posted by Dylan the Cartographer:

I am pretty sure that it is just a petty disagreement, and both sides are only pretending the Thalmor are involved as a way of making it seem more important to others than it actually is.

Could be true. But when you see the Alik'r everywhere actually hunting for her, it seems pretty serious.

[FauxFurry]

The best way to complete it involves Amorous Adventures inserted into that to-do list.

[alexander_dougherty]

Originally posted by Dylan the Cartographer:

I am pretty sure that it is just a petty disagreement, and both sides are only pretending the Thalmor are involved as a way of making it seem more important to others than it actually is.

A petty disagreement which involves one party taking the other back to Hammerfell to be Executed.

[MysticMalevolence]

Lots of things could get people executed. Look at Roggvir.

Neither side makes sense from a Thalmor involvement perspective because the Second Treaty of Stros M'Kai was signed 20 years prior to the events of Skyrim.

The time the city in question would have fallen was a whole 29 years prior to the events of Skyrim. Now it is not the easiest to tell the age of a standardized body mesh and skin texture with some facegen tweaking, but Saadia seems to be quite younger than Hulda with her habit of calling her 'mum'. Thus I highly doubt that Saadia is in her late 40s early 50s. Any earlier than that, and Saadia would have literally been a child at the time she 'sold out' the city. Plus, Kematu says "the resistance is alive and well in Hammerfell". This is factually untrue, as the treaty forced the Thalmor to withdraw their occupation, and it really doesn't make sense for the resisyance to send to many elite soldiers on a manhunt in Skyrim if they are still actively clashing with the enemy.

By the same token, the Thalmor are no longer occupying Hammerfell due to the Second treaty of Stros M'Kai, thus it makes no sense for Kematu to be after her to bring her back to the Thalmor (or for the Thalmor to care about the transgression >20 years after the fact) since they aren't officially present in it. It doesn't even make sense that the Thalmor would be hiring the Alik'r if they already have hundreds of agents in Skyrim.

Thus I propose that either the quest was written before the lore was finalized and hence makes no sense, or the conflict in question really has nothing to do with the Thalmor and each side is just hoping you're ignorant enough about history and linear time to help them rather than the other.


If TES VI takes place in Hammerfell I am sure we'll learn anyways.

[Hyen《A》 ♧]

Originally posted by Dylan the Cartographer:

If TES VI takes place in Hammerfell I am sure we'll learn anyways.

Maan i really hope that part is true. If it concluded was wrong I would reinstall Skyrim just to undo my decision.

While I disagrred with your view, you do have a very strong and valid point on both sides and the unrelated Thalmor theory is becoming quite believable. Only time will tell who's right, or not at all.

[Venom Candle]

Originally posted by Dylan the Cartographer:

Lots of things could get people executed. Look at Roggvir.

Neither side makes sense from a Thalmor involvement perspective because the Second Treaty of Stros M'Kai was signed 20 years prior to the events of Skyrim.

The time the city in question would have fallen was a whole 29 years prior to the events of Skyrim. Now it is not the easiest to tell the age of a standardized body mesh and skin texture with some facegen tweaking, but Saadia seems to be quite younger than Hulda with her habit of calling her 'mum'. Thus I highly doubt that Saadia is in her late 40s early 50s. Any earlier than that, and Saadia would have literally been a child at the time she 'sold out' the city. Plus, Kematu says "the resistance is alive and well in Hammerfell". This is factually untrue, as the treaty forced the Thalmor to withdraw their occupation, and it really doesn't make sense for the resisyance to send to many elite soldiers on a manhunt in Skyrim if they are still actively clashing with the enemy.

By the same token, the Thalmor are no longer occupying Hammerfell due to the Second treaty of Stros M'Kai, thus it makes no sense for Kematu to be after her to bring her back to the Thalmor (or for the Thalmor to care about the transgression >20 years after the fact) since they aren't officially present in it. It doesn't even make sense that the Thalmor would be hiring the Alik'r if they already have hundreds of agents in Skyrim.

Thus I propose that either the quest was written before the lore was finalized and hence makes no sense, or the conflict in question really has nothing to do with the Thalmor and each side is just hoping you're ignorant enough about history and linear time to help them rather than the other.


If TES VI takes place in Hammerfell I am sure we'll learn anyways.

The true story: Saadia is just a thot who scammed the wrong man.