In My Time of Need is a classic Skyrim moral puzzle set in Whiterun Hold. A band of Alik’r warriors from Hammerfell is combing the hold for a Redguard woman, and that woman, now working as a barmaid in Whiterun, swears they are assassins. Both sides insist they are the honest ones, nobody can prove anything, and both sides pay 500 gold. Choose wisely, or at least profitably.
How to start
Any time after the main quest Dragon Rising has begun, you can meet a pair of Alik’r warriors either on the roads or at Whiterun’s main gate, where they are arguing with the guard because they are no longer allowed into the city after an earlier incident. Ask them what they want: they are looking for a Redguard woman, refuse to say why, and ask you to bring news to them in Rorikstead. Rorikstead is added to your map at this point.
Walkthrough
Find the Redguard woman
There is no quest marker for her. The woman is Saadia, who works for Hulda at the Bannered Mare in Whiterun. You now have two options right away:
- Tell the Alik’r directly. Travel to Rorikstead (or find the warriors anywhere in Skyrim) and reveal where she is. This puts you on the Alik’r route described below.
- Warn Saadia. Mention the warriors and she gets nervous and asks to talk somewhere private. Follow her.
Saadia’s story
In private, Saadia claims her real name is Iman, a noblewoman of House Suda in Hammerfell. According to her, she spoke out against the Aldmeri Dominion and had to flee, and the Dominion then hired the Alik’r to kill her. She denies being a traitor and says that if their leader, Kematu, dies, the rest will scatter. If you agree to help, she points you to an Alik’r prisoner held in the dungeon under Dragonsreach. If you have already cleared Swindler’s Den before this point, you get a dialogue option saying you already know where Kematu is, and you can skip the prisoner.
The Alik’r prisoner
One way into the dungeon is through the eastern wall of Dragonsreach. Talk to the prisoner through the bars; he will only talk if his 100 gold fine is paid. Pay it to one of the guards, go back to the prisoner and tell him he is free, and he reveals that Kematu is hiding in Swindler’s Den. The guard then claims to have lost his key, and in practice the prisoner is never actually released.
If you have an outstanding bounty in Whiterun Hold, the guards only greet you with the ‘I know you’ line and you cannot pay the fine. You can sort out the bounty first, or simply walk to Swindler’s Den: the quest updates when you reach Kematu.
Swindler’s Den
The cave lies due west of Whiterun at the foot of a rocky hill in the plains. A group of bandits holds the front of the cave and must be dealt with whichever side you choose. A shortcut exists: behind the table, chair and bedroll in the first room, a mossy, slanted boulder hides a tunnel that can be climbed with some jumping and strafing. It leads straight to the back of Kematu’s chamber.
Kematu does not attack on sight. He tells his version: Saadia sold out Hammerfell, which led to the fall of the Redguard city of Taneth during the war with the Dominion, and the Redguard houses want her brought home alive to stand trial. Now you decide.
Choices and consequences
Siding with Saadia
Kill Kematu, which means fighting his Alik’r warriors as well, then return to Saadia at the Bannered Mare for 500 gold. Useful tactics from the field:
- Hit the warrior nearest the cave exit and back into the exit tunnel so the enemies come at you one at a time.
- Leave the cave, re-enter in stealth, and Kematu may be found alone in one of the early rooms.
- Fire Fireballs (spell or staff) through the waterfall at the left wall while sneaking; the Alik’r charge down the ramp and take damage on the way.
- With Illusion, cast Fury (or use a Scroll of Mayhem) on Kematu and let him cut down his own men. He is tougher than they are.
- Skilled pickpockets can steal the warriors’ equipped scimitars first.
This route also nets more loot from the Alik’r gear and more combat experience.
Siding with the Alik’r
Ask Kematu what he wants: he asks you to lure Saadia to the Whiterun Stables. Lie to her that the attack failed, the Alik’r are coming and a horse is waiting. Lead her out of the city to the stables, where Kematu paralyzes her. Speak to him for 500 gold. If you told the Alik’r about her at the start instead, you can skip the cave entirely: they tell you to bring her to the stables, where Kematu waits alone.
Double agent and playing both sides
- Lead Saadia to the stables but kill Kematu before taking his money: she is furious about the trap, yet still pays you 500 gold. His corpse carries some extra gold.
- Kill Kematu before Saadia even reaches the stables (archery works well), and she simply returns to the inn and finishes the quest on her side without complaint.
- For 1,000 gold total, take Kematu’s reward, then kill him. Saadia wakes up hostile; calm her (Calm spell or similar), tell her the Alik’r are gone and collect her 500. When the calm wears off she is permanently hostile, so you will have to avoid or kill her.
If you hand her over, her burial urn later turns up in Whiterun’s Hall of the Dead, which says something about Kematu’s promise to bring her home alive.
Rewards
- 500 gold from Saadia or from Kematu
- Up to 1,000 gold by collecting from both
- Gold looted from Kematu’s body if you kill him
Tips and notes
- Killing Kematu or his warriors before the quest starts counts as murder and earns a bounty if seen.
- Once Saadia is safe, a second bed at the Bannered Mare, across from hers, is free to use.
- A random roadside encounter shows two Alik’r confronting the wrong Redguard woman before letting her go.
- Guards in Dawnstar may grumble about Hammerfell assassins.
- The setup mirrors Two Sides of the Coin and A Business Proposition: each party calls the other the liar, and the game never settles who is right.
