When it comes to an immersive storyline, memorable characters, and a plethora of noteworthy quests, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim stands the test of time. It is true that most of the quests in Skyrim are not as deep as other similar RPGs. But the ‘In My Time Of Need’ quest is a bit different.
It begins with the objective to locate a Redguard woman who has been missing for a while. However, as the side quest progresses, players understand that things are not as simple as they seem to be. Both the parties involved here have their side of the story, making it difficult for you to decide whom to believe. Also, based on your decisions, this quest can have multiple outcomes.
In this walkthrough, I will explain how to complete ‘In My Time Of Need’ and have your preferred outcome. Read on to find out more.
Also Read: Skyrim: Where To Get Quarried Stone [All Locations]
Where to Find the Alik’r Warriors?
After you, as the Dragonborn, visit Whiterun’s entrance during the main story (specifically after starting ‘Dragon Rising‘), you will come across two Alik’r warriors. You will see them quarreling with the town guard to enter the city.
When you approach them and start a conversation, they will ask for your assistance in locating a missing Redguard woman. If you somehow miss this encounter, you can find the two warriors patrolling the streets of Skyrim. The guards will tell you to meet them at Rorikstead if you manage to obtain any news regarding the woman.
Who is Saadia, and Where to Find Her?
The Redguard woman that the Alik’r warriors are looking for is Saadia. While the game offers no marker to get to Saadia, you can find her in The Bannered Mare pub sooner or later. If you inform her that the Alik’r warriors are searching for her, she will become visibly worried and ask you to come upstairs to have a private conversation.
Here, you get two choices. First, you may follow Saadia upstairs to talk to her in private. Second, you may ignore her request and go back to the Alik’r warriors in Rorikstead to inform them about Saadia’s whereabouts.
If you do the latter, the quest will end right there, and you will receive a 500 Gold reward.
However, if you do the former, Saadia will tell you her story. Apparently, her real identity is Iman, and she is a noblewoman of House Suda in Hammerfell. Seems like she spoke against the Aldmeri Dominion and had to flee the Skyrim province.
The Aldmeri Dominion then hired the Alik’r warriors to kill her. She says that killing Kematu – the leader of the Alik’r search party, will force the team to break up.
But there is a little problem; Saadia is mostly unaware of Kematu’s whereabouts.
How to Find Kematu’s Location?
Saadia does not know where Kematu is, but there is someone who does. She points you to an Alik’r prisoner in the Dragonsreach Dungeon who can help you out. Enter the Dungeon and speak to the prisoner behind the bars.
He will then agree to disclose where Kematu is if you pay his bail amount, that is, 100 Gold. Speak to one of the guards there, pay the bail, and talk to the prisoner again.
When you inform him about his fine being paid, he will let you know that Kematu is currently in a cave, namely Swindler’s Den.
How to Travel to Swindler’s Den?
Swindler’s Den is situated west of Whiterun at the base of a gravelly mountain. I struggled a bit to find the cave. But you don’t have to.
Advance straight to the east until you see a river. Track the river until it divots to the south. Once there, turn southwest and walk for a while to discover a rock at the center of the plains. As you may have already guessed, this rock is the entrance to Swindler’s Den.
But stay cautious, though, as there will be quite a few bandits guarding the entrance. Defeat them to enter Kematu’s hideout.
Also Read: Skyrim Atronach Forge | How to Craft Magical Scrolls, Staves, & Weapons
Prerequisite
Just like many other quests in Skyrim, ‘In My Time Of Need’ has a requirement that you must fulfill to start it. Players must finish ‘Dragon Rising’ before starting this quest. After you have done that, you can start ‘In My Time Of Need’ right away.
How to Complete the In My Time Of Need Quest
As you have seen, the ‘In My Time Of Need’ quest is multifaceted. Deciding whether they want to help Saadia or the Alik’r warriors may be overwhelming for many players.
This is what you know till now: in Saadia’s story, she is the victim. And by helping her out, you are protecting an innocent person from a group of merciless assassins. However, there is a chance that she might be lying. If that is true, you are assisting a treacherous woman. You cannot say anything for sure, can you?
Now, let’s see what the Alik’r warriors have to say. According to them, Saadia was disloyal to her city. Needless to say, that is a serious offense. And by helping the warriors capture her, you are ensuring justice.
Also Read: Skyrim Volskygge Puzzle | How to Conquer the Four Totem Challenge
However, there is some peculiarity to the whole thing. While the Alik’r search party possesses a warrant for Saadia, suggesting that their allegations might be factual, ponder on one thing. The Thalmor – the governing council of the Aldmeri Dominion, do not have anything to say about Saadia.
Isn’t it strange? If she spoke against the Dominion, wouldn’t they intervene? So, you cannot label the Alik’r warriors’ claim as true either.
That is why your choice will depend entirely on your personal sense of morality. By siding with Saadia, you are saving her from a gang of ruthless assassins and suffering from a tragic fate. That is, no doubt, heroic.
Also, it is way more straightforward than capturing Saadia and presenting her to the bounty hunters. Just take down the Alik’r warriors, and that is pretty much it.
Plus, besides the reward, you are bound to feel good once you have saved the woman. It just feels like you have done the right thing. However, everything is not good with this decision.
Foremost, you may have helped a traitor. Second, it does not have a proper closure. Unfortunately, You never find out what happens to Saadia after you assist her. The story just ends abruptly there. Third, you never interact with Saadia again after the quest is over. Quite anti-climactic, right?
Also, the Alik’r warriors are trained assassins. Helping Saadia means fighting with these dreadful foes, which is undoubtedly an extra hassle.
On the contrary, siding with the Alik’r warriors means you are delivering justice to a betrayer. It brings a proper closure to the issue surrounding Hammerfell and the Aldmeri Dominion. It also gives you a deeper comprehension of the geopolitics in the Skyrim.
Plus, you will feel that they are more about justice than simple assassination. Why? Because when you capture and bring Saadia to the Alik’r warriors, Kematu paralyzes her instead of murdering her pronto. Interestingly, Saadia’s warrant provides some validity to the Alik’r’s claims.
Still, there are downsides to going this route as well. First, if Saadia is being honest, you are handing over an innocent lady to a group of cold-blooded cutthroats. Second, despite the claims of the Alik’r warriors, there is a lack of evidence against Saadia that proves her treachery. And acting on rumors is never a good thing.
Also Read: How to Increase Carry Weight in Skyrim
Third, even if you decide to help the Alik’r warriors, you have to fight the formidable bandits at the entrance of Kematu’s hideout upon failure to sneak in. Plus, there are high chances of a sense of guilt plaguing your mind after you have handed Saadia over, considering the emotion in her requests.
Let me now list all the possible outcomes of this quest, depending on your choice:
Outcome #1: Kill Kematu and Return to Saadia
After getting familiar with Kematu’s hideout in the Swindler’s Den, you go there and fight the bandits outside the cave. Once you have defeated them, go inside and meet Kematu. You can also avoid the fight and sneak in.
Upon reaching the Throne Room, Kematu will ask you to put your weapon down. Approach Kematu and make your intentions clear. He will laugh at you when you reveal that Saadia has sent you to kill him.
Kematu will also say that Saadia has a treason charge in Hammerfell and has run away numerous times before deceiving people like you.
If you do not have faith in his words, get to work instantly. Fight and defeat seven Redguards before killing Kematu.
Once Kematu is dead, exit the cave to go meet Saadia in Whiterun. Assure her that she doesn’t need to worry about the assassins anymore, and she will give you 500 Gold as a reward for saving her life.
Outcome #2: Take Saadia to the Whiterun stables, and Hand Her Over to the Alik’r Warriors
After knowing where Saadia is, go to Rorikstead and inform the Alik’r about her location. They will then tell you that they cannot catch her there, as it would cause a lot of unnecessary hubbubs in the city. Instead, they tell you to bring the woman to the stables, where they will wait and capture her.
Go back to Whiterun to tell Saadia that the Alik’r warriors are chasing her. So, you have made a plan for her to escape Skyrim.
Needless to say, Saadia will trust you and follow you to the stables, where the warriors are already waiting for her. Upon reaching there, they will arrest Saadia and give you 500 Gold.
You can also do this if Kematu’s words in the Swindler’s Den change your mind. In that case, you will join forces with the Alik’r right there.
Also Read: How to Get a Daedra Heart in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim?
Outcome #3: Be a Double Agent to Double the Rewards
You can also kill Kematu after he casts the paralyzing spell on Saadia and gives you 500 Gold, breaking the spell.
Upon her paralysis is over, Saadia will be hostile towards you. Use the Calm spell on Saadia to collect an additional 500 Gold from her. However, her hostility towards you will be permanent. So, when Calm’s effect subsides, she will be antagonistic again. While killing her can give you some gold and jewels, I think that is mindless violence and isn’t necessary.
Final Words
As you can see, Skyrim’s ‘In My Time Of Need’ is a many-sided, choice-driven quest that tests the morality of its players. It also reminds us of an often-neglected fact: it is not possible to tag something/someone as good or bad straightaway is impossible. Everyone has a story to tell. Whether you believe them or not is completely up to you.
In this walkthrough, I elucidated how to complete this complex quest and all the possible conclusions it can have. What path you take depends on your preference. Just remember one thing: do what you feel is right in a morally gray world. All the best!
If you like quests like these, you can also check out our walkthrough on Skyrim’s Blood on the Ice Quest, which is another fun whodunnit!
