Hiya.I've been working on a mod that adds new random encounters. Random encounters are events which you'll come across as you travel through the wilderness of Skyrim.I'm here because I need your creative minds to come up with some interesting ideas for new encounters. So far I've already made about 30 and I intend to make many more, which requires ideas to make them interesting.Just so I can give you better insight on what I'm making, I have videos from my testing which shows a few of them in action.Stormcloaks taking a Thalmor as their prisoner. The prisoner will try to escape if you free him, or the group is ambushed.This mod does not only add wilderness encounter but what I call city encounters. I got a request for bar fights between NPCs the other day. Honestly, its not something I'd normally make, but since it was from a voice actor who's helping me with a quest mod, I told him I'd do it. Granted, though, it would be much better to make it part of this mod as opposed to making it a standalone.
If you'd take the torch from me on this, I'd appreciate it.Actually, I've already made a tavern brawl as part of the city encounters. Every time you enter a tavern there is a chance where drunks are at fist fighting. How about having some of the lesser known named NPCs out in the world, rather than just standing around doing nothing important once you finish their quests? Like for example, vanilla has that one hunter who runs the market stall in Whiterun out hunting in the fields beyond the city sometimes. A few things like that could be good. You could have, for example, that priest in Dawnstar go looking for recruits for his new temple.
Or maybe have that warrior gal who sits on the 700 steps and later disappears from the game entirely (Kartia? Something like that) as an encounter somewhere.I remember seeing another encounter mod that had some of the mercs you can hire as followers and members of the Companions show up randomly on the road, possibly fighting bandits. I thought it was pretty neat that I'd be walking down a road in Riften and run into the dark elf merc from Whiterun, or a road in Falkreath would have Aela show up out of nowhere. How about having some of the lesser known named NPCs out in the world, rather than just standing around doing nothing important once you finish their quests? Like for example, vanilla has that one hunter who runs the market stall in Whiterun out hunting in the fields beyond the city sometimes. A few things like that could be good.
You could have, for example, that priest in Dawnstar go looking for recruits for his new temple. Or maybe have that warrior gal who sits on the 700 steps and later disappears from the game entirely (Kartia? Something like that) as an encounter somewhere.I remember seeing another encounter mod that had some of the mercs you can hire as followers and members of the Companions show up randomly on the road, possibly fighting bandits. I thought it was pretty neat that I'd be walking down a road in Riften and run into the dark elf merc from Whiterun, or a road in Falkreath would have Aela show up out of nowhere.That is an interesting idea. Although I've already made more than a few encounters where you'll come across underappreciated NPCs hitting the road, I haven't made or thought of anything to do with Karita (the pilgrim).
These Skyrim console commands and cheats will help you skip quests, re-spec your character, or alter the game world There is a lot going on underneath the hood of Skyrim, and if you are feeling a. All you need is a follower. If you have a follower, all you need to do is make the follower carr “items” and then take them back. To do this, start by; Place all the stolen items inside a chest. Order your follower to take everything inside the chest. Select “I need you to do something” and select the chest.
Thanks for the idea!The other encounter mod you mention must be Extende Encounters by Jonx0r, which I took inspiration from. My mod will have encounters with hirelings, too.
So far you seem to have a really cool mod.If your interested I've been able to create standalone, non-scripted bards that actually play new music. It just uses packages and a magic effect on the NPC. Maybe you can have a random bard walk throughout the town playing music.Perhaps when the player is in the castle you can have a random mercenary walk up to the jarl or steward, the jarl/steward then says 'thank you, you've done us a great service, here is your reward'.
Mercenary then sandboxes at the inn until he's cleaned up.A random priest that walks in the hold's 'market square' area and the NPC would have the same voicetype as Heimskr then starts preaching the same lines of dialogue as Heimskr. Actually this would be difficult and possibly annoying.A random NPC runs into town or from the inn, has the drunk voicetype, wears no clothes and just starts randomly running around until the guards capture and arrest him, then cart him off to jail.
This blog is devoted to considerations of morality in the The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim by Bethesda. Rather than a fansite, review, or walkthrough, it is a serious attempt to examine the game through a moral lens. Please note that the purpose of this blog is to discuss morality within the context of the game, not to determine whether playing the game is immoral in and of itself; the latter type of 'discussion' tends toward tedium and inhibits, rather than promotes, a meaningful conversation. If you have not visited this blog before, it might be helpful to read the posts labeled ',' most of which are the first few entries in the blog archive (see right). These posts include a short introduction to this project, a content-specific author bio, and a few other pieces that explain key concepts relevant to this study. These posts are of particular use to those readers less familiar with Skyrim (or video games in general). PLEASE NOTE: HERE BE SPOILERS!
If you have visited this blog before, thanks and welcome back! In My Time of Need was the quest that originally inspired me to write this blog. Because of the intricate set-up, high moral stakes, and lack of conclusive information, it presents a very difficult moral dilemma that not only defies easy answers, but also approximates moral dilemmas in the real world (albeit on a grander scale).For me, the quest began in Whiterun when two Redguards, identifying themselves as Alik'r mercenaries from Hammerfell, requested my help in locating a Redguard woman who was thought to be hiding out somewhere in Whiterun. The Alik'r themselves could not investigate inside Whiterun for two reasons: first, as per the White-Gold Concordat, Hammerfell is no longer part of the Empire; second, and more directly relevant, one of their number was thrown in jail for trying to sneak into the city. I agreed to help them find the woman, then went about my business.While in the Bannered Mare on unrelated business, I noticed Saadia, the Redguard cook.
When I asked her about the Alik'r, she asked to speak to me in private, at which point she pulled a dagger on me. After calming her down, I listened to her story; she claimed to be Iman, a noblewoman of House Suda and a target of a Thalmor assassination attempt:Part of Saadia's story.I didn't know much about politics in Hammerfell, but I did know that the Thalmor were not above fostering in-fighting within another nation, so I was inclined to believe her. She advised me to speak to the jailed Alik'r to find his leader's whereabouts, which I did.
After I paid his fine (apparently he had been abandoned by his leader, Kematu, for being clumsy enough to get caught), he agreed to help me out. He told me to look in Swindler's Den, but.Are the Alik'r noble warriors or ruthless thugs?Lydia and I made our way to Swindler's Den, and when we arrived, we found a common bandit guarding the entrance. Once inside, we were met by many more bandits, some of whom proved to be rather difficult to kill.
We also discovered a few bear traps guarding a key passage; so far, Kematu and his merry band were living up to their reputation.As we were about to pass through the underside of a small waterfall, we heard a conversation in the larger chamber ahead. I decided that, given the difficulty of our previous encounters in the caves, a sneak attack was in order. Once we launched the first volley, the Alik'r were all over us, and we couldn't advance past the waterfall, so the battle was fairly chaotic. Finally, though, I had Kematu on the ropes; when I delivered the final blow, he gasped, 'Don't let yourself be fooled by a pretty face again. You're better than that.' I completed the quest by reporting to Saadia that Kematu was dead; she thanked me and rewarded me as promised, and that was the end of this side quest.
Some questions, however, remained.I had been feeling pretty good about my choice to help Saadia until Kematu uttered his last words. Why would a mercenary or assassin bother saying something like that with his dying breath? Had I, in fact, been manipulated by a damsel in distress? Or was Kematu himself an unwitting pawn of the Thalmor? Now that the quest was complete and my choices set in stone, I could do some research. I have just reached this point and am frankly staggered by the lack of choice. Perhaps i have been spoiled by mass effect.
I'm annoyed because I don't understand why I cant speak to Saadia upon returning from the conversation with Kematu in the caves, other than to trick her into their hands. All it would have taken was a couple of questions to get her side of the story, and then a proper decision could have been made. Very lazy design, and doesn't bode well for the game considering I am in the early stages. I've decided to leave them to it and not intervene. She's safe in the city, and I don't think they deserve to die. Would have been nice to warn her though.
What a half baked mission. I've played this quest through a couple of times now, and it's one of the most frustrating in the game, because of the lack of definitive information or closure.But after a lot of thought, I've concluded that the balance of evidence is quite strong against Saadia. It's not the conclusion I wanted to come to - everyone likes to help a damsel in distress - but I can't deny the facts.Fact 1: Saadia says that killing Kematu will cause the assassins to disperse and leave her safe. This, I know from my first playthrough, is completely inaccurate. Long after killing Kematu, you will still keep running into Alik'r warriors detaining Redguard women all over the place. They don't give up.Fact 2: In the abovementioned random encounters, the warriors behave like - well, like honourable warriors, not assassins. They detain the woman - annoying her somewhat - but upon realising she's not Saadia, they let her go with no further fuss.
At no point do they draw a weapon or make a threat of any kind. Very civil.Fact 3: If Saadia's story is true, then her pursuers are Thalmor-Sponsored Assassins. But we encounter several confirmed TSAs in the game, and their MO is completely different:- Esbern: is hunted by uniformed Thalmor guards (how the heck they got into Stormcloak-controlled Riften I have no idea, but still), plus two 'sleeper' agents within the city.- Malborn: is stalked by a Khajit assassin, masquerading as a merchant guard, lurking outside the city.- But Saadia asks us to believe that the Thalmor have hired this band of thugs - of the same nationality as their victim - to hunt her down openly and publicly. It seems quite out of character for the Thalmor.Fact 4: Even if you save her, Saadia never starts treating you as a friend. If she was for real, I would expect her to at least greet you more warmly thereafter - maybe even become marriagable.
But she continues to address you exactly as before. That suggests to me that she's putting on an act when she needs your help, and drops it when you've done your bit. I'm now hoping that the next game in the series will be set in Hammerfell, and might throw some retrospective light on this quest. Doesn't have to refer to Saadia directly - just telling us exactly who the 'Alik'r' are, and how they're viewed by the people of Hammerfell, would probably give us enough of a clue.By the way, thanks for writing this blog. I don't always agree with you, but I appreciate that someone's taken the trouble to write all this down and give us a forum to have these discussions. 1) While the Alik'r remain throughout Skyrim hunting for her, Saadia's 'sanctuary' in Whiterun is secure.
The fact she made an assumption on her safety was both true and untrue in areas outside Whiterun. This is not a lie but an assumption which only came partly true.
It does not prove that the rest of her story is false.2) The Alik'r are rude and threatening. I don't know how many times the woman they are trying to FORCE to come with them says 'Now back off before I do something drastic.' THEN, the other says 'Wait, brother, I think she's telling the truth. She doesn't have the scar.' Then the other grudgingly admits and tells her to 'Watch your mouth before it gets you into trouble.' They're harassing traveling women not asking politely.3) The Thalmor use everyone including the Empire and the Stormcloaks. Using even her own family would not be outside Thalmor decency as long as it fulfilled their devisive objectives.
Sowing discord and planning strife are their specialties.The merits of the Alik'r warriors must be observed based on their own actions which are not convincing. They are expelled from Whiterun for an unknown reason and abandon one of their men to rot in prison. They ask for your assistance but refuse to give reasons only offering a bribe for information. Kematu hires bandits and hides out in a cave only addressing you after you 'proved yourself' by slaughtering all his hirelings. Obviously, he places a high value on life. His 'honorable' argument holds a lot of information including insults of your own intellect, morals, and motivations; but nothing that proves Saadia is lying. His best idea than offering solid evidence or proof is to make a counteroffer for you to do the 'dirty work' of lying to a woman you may have a duty to protect from kidnappers and Thalmor assassins.
The stakes are high and Kematu treats you like a warrior to be duped rather than fought. His highest compliment is in cowardice apparently.4) Saadia does remain distant and rather cold.
But this is not proof of her guilt. It did make me second guess as I believe it was intended. However, who she makes friends with is up to her. She did claim to be nobility not a common wench as she must pretend as a fugitive. (Actually, I think Idolaf Battle-Born likes her. He's always in the kitchen when she is.:x).
I figured they couldn't be up to any good. Given the arrest of one and the investigation of others by the guards, it seems evident that their international excursion is illegal. Furthermore, I had no way of knowing that they would take her without violence, and even given that, what if they were working for the Thalmor?
Skyrim I Need You To Do Something Go
Have you seen what they do to people? I could not even consider subjecting someone to that. And these Alik'r are obviously some very shady folks if they can hole up with vicious bandits without an issue. I have played this quest many times. Both sides intentionally give clues that both support and condemn their stories.
The truth is intentionally withheld from the player who must make a decision to help Saadia in good faith or condemn her without the evidence to support 'beyond a reasonable doubt.' I have always saved her and never regretted it. It is better to let a traitor go free than condemn a political fugitive seeking asylum. Even if guilty, she cannot do much damage as a Whiterun barmaid.
If she is returned, she will be executed that fate is certain.My current theory on the situation is that both sides are telling the truth. The Thalmor are heavily involved with trying to manipulate the Civil War specifically Ulfric (as detailed in his Dossier during the Embassy quest). In fact, the terms of the White-Gold Concordant banning Talos was intended to bring about internal division within the Empire from the first. Ulfric has been instrumental to serve their ends while trying ironically to rectify the course of Skryim in abandoning the Empire.If we believe both stories, Saadia's and Kematu's, a similar picture develops. If Saadia is a political fugitive for speaking out against the AD, her situation makes sense. There is no evidence she is lying.
However, Kematu claims to be working for the Hammerfell Resistance tracking down a traitor. While he seems brutal toward his own men and only marginally honorable to serve his own ends, it is possible he is also telling the truth. He may truly believe that she is a traitor.
However, is she? Was she for or against the AD? This is where their stories directly contradict.
His word versus her word.The final piece of the puzzle is an underlying assumption of which we have no evidence only speculation. It is possible that Kematu is misinformed about Saadia's true 'crimes' and is being manipulated by the Thalmor to hunt down 'their' enemies. If so, it fits into the pattern of Thalmor interference and deception to divide their enemies and force them to kill each other.However, even if Kematu is not misinformed, there is no reason to believe his word over hers. He disparagingly implies that you are 'believing a damsel in distress' who has 'played to your baser instincts.' Would an honorable warrior use such insults?
Everything he tells you that seems honorable could be an act to gain your trust. He offers persuasive words but no proofs. Wouldn't an honorable man use better methods (bandits? Really?) and expect to have to prove his words? But beyond the words, Saadia's situation as a fugitive not a threat is real and it is likely she is hiding from the Thalmor not Hammerfell since she did not seek the Thalmor or the Empire for sanctuary. Finally, even if it were intended for the player to be deceived, condemning her without hard evidence would be hasty and wrong-headed.
Actually in restrospect, Kematu's main line of reasoning to convince the player of Saadia's 'guilt' is to shame the presumably male character that you're just helping a damsel in distress who has played upon your sympathies for the fairer sex. She is a damsel and she is in distress. What's wrong with helping her again? I missed that part.Ironically because Kematu doesn't offer any hard evidence, the only manly decision a male avatar can make is to kill them all even if you're wrong.
Something I Need Song
The only alternative course of action Kematu suggests is lying to possibly an innocent woman who is trusting you so that they can kidnap her presumably to kill her. Lying, sneaky and cowardly, definitely not a manly thing to do. Killing eight assassins in a free-for-all, no-holds-barred cave battle is much more manly.;)Of course, I played this quest the first time with a Nord Shield-Maiden with Lydia as my huscarl. As an honorbound female warrior for justice, I took up Saadia's plight as a woman helping out another woman in need. I did think at the time that it was a man's job.
Definitely heroic savior stuff that makes a romantic tale of high adventure (sighs longingly for my own hero someday!); but if a noblehearted man isn't around to do the job, I guess next best will have to do. (If I were Saadia, I would pick the strongest, noblest man in the tavern. Very romantic. But, oh well, what a waste. Since the only noble warrior around was also female-me.faceroll.
If a woman is the only one available, we do what we have to do. Can't let a woman die because there isn't a handsome knight protector available! Fie on the travesty!)Once in Swindler's Den, I got to the part where Kematu insinuated Saadia was a lying whore and I was a. And then I was chuckling to myself and Bethesda. (You didn't think a woman would do this quest?) So I was immune to the 'helping a woman' shame.
I carry no special sympathies for women except as a fellow woman (which is a moral decision of integrity not biological or emotional). Though I was not immune to the insult to my moral judgements and sexual preferences. You'll pay for those insults to my integrity in blood, assassin!Case in note, do NOT insult a Nord Shield-Maiden if you want to gain her trust.
Female warriors can be very sensitive about their honor and perceived disrespect from male counterparts who may be competitive or disparaging toward women in predominantly male roles.:) She-rawr.;)Scarily enough, I guess the majority of the comments in favor of Kematu show guys DO have a weakness to being sympathetic to women as Kematu suggests is the player's main motivation. And these guys would rather betray and butcher an innocent woman than be duped. How awful, but very Othello. And Othello was wrong. He was also lied to by a male 'friend.' I would rather be betrayed or taken advantage of than betray or do another wrong.
I figure the truth will come out eventually. If I got used, that will have its time of reckoning-in blood! But until she is proven guilty, I must protect her possible innocence from possible evildoers. I can't be the instigator of betrayal and made the accomplice of lies.Perhaps the fear of being exploited or betrayed by a woman whom you have special sympathies could be called an 'Othello complex.' At best, Kematu murders Saadia as an act of vengeance and vigilantism for rival noble Houses.
At worst, he's a Thalmor agent sent to 'clean up' political refugees who dared to defy the Thalmor. Either way, he employs the basest of immoral methods and invites you to assist his scheme on blind faith rather than cold facts.Saadia offers trust out of believeable desperation. She doesn't betray you even if you never really know how much of the truth she told you.Kematu at least lies about 'taking her back to Hammerfell to be tried for her crimes.' (Since her Burial Urn appears in Whiterun's Hall of the Dead.) So they are assassins. That part of Saadia's story was true.
Who they were really working for is unclarified, but does it really matter? She either told you the truth and she is on the run for defying the Thalmor or she was being pursued by rival Houses possibly on false charges or she was working for the Thalmor and still is or isn't now.The fact that Kematu lies about their true identity and intentions puts his whole story in doubt. Though not all of the details are conclusively false.
Rocket League “King of the Hill” Game Mode. The brand new 20 minute 3 man 1v1 King of the Hill gameplay mode. A walkthrough of this fun game by Zerofour Games. The game combines real-time physics with your driving skills. Challenge your opponents to blast the goal. A fun of soccer and racing combined in a mobile game. 3 vs 3 Real time Multiplayer. King of the Hill is a game mode in Battle Supremacy, it involves two teams fighting for the control of a 'hill' in the center of the map. Rules Edit King of the hill is a rather complicated mode. Jan 25, 2017 Rocket League “King of the Hill” Game Mode. King of the Hill Rocket League Game Mode is a brand new mode where you get 20 minutes, 3 Man King of the Hill Rocket League Game Mode is a brand new mode where you get 20 minutes, 3 Man in a 1v1 King of the Hill Game mode. This game is developed by Zerofour Games and combines real time physics. King of the hill game mode youtube. How can the answer be improved? King of the Hill (KotH) is an intense new game mode focused around a single central capture point that must be defended for three minutes. Gameplay begins with the point initially locked—after a short time, it will open for capture by either team. Once the point is captured by a team, their team clock will start a three minute countdown.
The fact Saadia did tell you the truth about Kematu bolsters her own story even though it could still be a bag of lies. At least the bag of money she gave you was true.;)Assassins don't spring up to take care of justice. That's what courts are for. Assassins are sent to kill people who are a perceived threat to someone important AKA: rich. Those important, rich people are likely Thalmor or rival Redguard nobles.
Take your pick.Either way, she's not particularly dangerous as a Whiterun barmaid. I'm not a facilitator of vengeance or assassinations. So Kematu's group proves (post mortem) to be the posers and the evildoers to be dealt with here.Yes, I wiped out the Dark Brotherhood (with sneak attacks:D).
That is true justice like it or not. Blood money ought to be paid with blood. Todd,Dernhelm points out that although Kematu thinks he's right, he might not be so in truth.
People, criminal or not, often try to do the right thing from their perspective.Dernholm also questions why we first have to lie in order to do the right thing. I agree with that as well. I actually reloaded at this point, and sided with Saadia.This quest could be the result of sloppy work from Bethesda doubtful, and we are simply over thinking things. It can also be that Bethesda deliberately wanted it to be unclear, and we are again over thinking things. Or it can be that there's simply neither good nor bad choice, and we're also over thinking things.Some misconceptions I read on the internet:-The guards don't like the Alik'r, so the Alik'r must be evil.-Saadia pulls a knife on the dragonborn, so she's evil.-Saadia's burial urn is found right after finishing the quest, so the Alik'r are lying.-Kematu seems to withhold information, so he's evil.-Saadia seems forward with information, so she's good.-Saadia doesn't become really friendly after siding with her, so she's evil.-It's not the Thalmor's m.o.
To use a group of people to get to one person.Points of interest/suspicion:-Kematu surrounds himself with common bandits to protect himself and his hideout.-Saadia is hiding in Whiterun, were there are no Thalmor present.-The Thalmor also used clan Battle-born to get to a single person.Another interesting point is whether the player believes the Stormcloaks or the Thalmor are good or evil. I'm leaving out the Imperials, who're actually also against the Thalmor, because it might confuse things.
In truth, if you know enough about the politics in Skyrim, then there's really only Thalmor vs Imperials. Solid points, Drean - particularly your final assertion that one's moral stance is determined in part by the faction one sides with (instead of, or perhaps in addition to, vice versa). I'm confused on one item, though; what do you mean when you say, 'even though the player might believe the Thalmor are evil, siding with the Thalmor is actually the moral good choice'? How does one side with the Thalmor in this quest if we don't if Saadia, Kematu, or neither in working for the Thalmor?As for whether Bethesda intended this kind of insoluble moral dilemma, I'm fairly confident they did. Shane Liesegang, one of the quest writers, contacted me last summer about my blog. In his comments, he alluded to the care that he and his team took in writing the quests, so I think it is usually safe to assume that when information is missing, it is supposed to be missing.
One of the reasons I love reading this blog so much is seeing how often our character's actions align, while their morals are different.Aure helped Saadia, but largely out of a sense of camaraderie. '.You're.
a foreign woman on the run from her past?.I'm. a foreign woman on the run from her past!' She helped Saadia because being in her place was a very real danger. Since Aure was (and at the time, still was) a thief, the idea that Saadia had broken the law the wouldn't have bothered her (unless she'd done something truly heinous) if she'd bothered to think about it.
Also, similarly to you, I got a spiel from Kematu where he suggested that Saadia 'appealed.to a base need' to get me to help her. Like you, it struck home because it was true.Now, I like to travel with companions (pragmatically, two swords are better than one) and since I like to role-play, I don't just answer her moral dilemmas, I come come up with moral justifications she can later use if she's ever called on her actions.
And it's truly fitting with her Chaotic Neutral nature that the argument changes depending on who's she's talking too. Lydia, for example, isn't going to be too impressed if I say we're going to sabotage some mead for a little cold, and Mjoll isn't going to understand going after Noster's helmet because we feel sorry for them.For this quest, Aure argued to Lydia that, A)They promised to help Saadia first and were honor bound to keep their promise and, B)the Redguards had no authority in Skyrim. (Lydia, in my mind anyways, is Lawful Good and her cries of 'Skyrim belongs to the Nords!' Suggests some nationalism, so this worked).You brought up the possibility of betraying both. I did so and I freely admit it was for pragmatic reasons. Kill on Redguard is a lot easier than killing 7 of them.
Need To Do Something Different
I lured him away from his men and killed him while he was unprepared.Still, I think this outcome could be argued from a Good standpoint (probably not a Lawful Good one, like you Lothar, but from a Chaotic one). After all, lying to two people and killing one is bad, but killing 7 is worse. First i agree to Topher and second:I miss something in Kematu´s story. PROOF!If i am send to kill some bandits, i got a letter from the jarl.
If Assassins are send to kill somebody, they have a contract. And if a Country hires an army, the army has Orders!So why didnt the Alikir showed the whiterun guards their order from hammerfell? Why shouldnt they ask to tell the jarl and have his help in order to find the women? Why they try to sneak in instead of going an offical way?Kematu could at least show me a fake bounty-letter to try to convince me, but not he doesnt have this, too. NOTHING.If i was going to hunt down a criminal, why shouldnt i get an offical permission, and show this permission to everyone?
Or at least a bounty letter, to proof that she is a criminal?or at least, if you arent hired for a good cause - FAKE something D:Even if i believe in Saadia, i never finished the Quest, i even reloaded bevor the quest, because i hate this decision if i play a good character - and even if i am bad i couldnt side with the evil-side, so i need to kill all D. I know I'm late to the party on all accounts; I've only recently started playing Skyrim for the first time. I'm role playing as a Bosmer thief, so I have little interest in the war and what side is the 'right' one. I suppose you could say I'm Chaotic Neutral? In any case, I've found a couple of additional points that lend credence to Kematu's story.1. If you help the Alik'r to catch Iman, and then 'Sneak' next to her, you can't pickpocket her, and Kematu will say 'Don't even think about it.' If you kill Iman after helping capture her, you won't incur a bounty, but Kematu will become upset with you, saying 'All that effort, and you just kill her?
You've ruined everything!' If Kematu was really an assassin, do you think he'd care about how she ended up dead?3. Outside of the story, if you help capture Iman, you can take things from the Inn without having to steal them. Now, not all quests are moral ones (I vaguely recall something about joining the skyrim assassin group?) but in this case I think it's indicative.
One late to the party, two late to the party! I may as well throw in my two cents.I have played Skyrim through quite a few times. I sided with Saadia in my first 'never played a Bethesda game before and didn't know what I was doing' playthrough, but every time after that I sided with Kematu. The evidence against Saadia is all too clear, and much of it comes from Saadia herself. One particular dialogue point that has not been brought up yet: when she pulls the knife on you in the inn, she claims ignorance of her hunters finding her, and yet the very next sentence she states that she heard one of the Alik'r was captured and thrown in jail. This initial contradiction begins a series of contradictions in her tale, which have already been laid out quite well above.Now, I have to say, I do not understand the points about dishonesty. Several posters claim that 'Kematu is bad because he is asking you to lie in order to help him.'
Well.Saadia is asking you to kill a man. I do believe that is a far weightier issue. Furthermore, some of the posters also state that they would 'rather be deceived than lead a potentially innocent woman to her death'. This is hypocritical, as in doing so you are defending a deceiver, and in the same vein may very well be killing an innocent man and his men because of a lie.It's all very well-played, with plenty of points to make the decision difficult and to make it hard to see the truth. Case in point, Kematu hiding in a bandit hold. Firstly, he did not set up the gauntlet, he is simply squatting there; secondly, he is unwelcome in Whiterun Hold. Where else is he going to go?
The inn down the street? The conversation the bandits have the moment you enter the cave indicates as much: 'I'm not sure I like these Alik'r warriors hiding out here.'
Sometimes, you do what you have to do. It isn't pretty or nice, but doing your duty occasionally means doing things you would rather not do.Plus, if they were really siding with the Thalmor, they were much too ham-fisted in their attempts to get at Saadia. It just doesn't feel like a Thalmor plan. Their plans are too subtle, too well thought out.For that matter, it makes perfect sense for the Almderi Dominion to cast her off and disown her. To do so provides the perfect cauldron for divisions like what we are discussing; furthermore, we know the Altmer from the Aldmeri Dominion largely consider humans to be worthless and inferior.
Once Saadia served their needs, she was no longer useful, and thus no longer worth the investment. They don't see humans as people; they see them as ants.As for why Saadia's burial urn would appear in the Hall of the Dead? Kematu sending it back to let you know what happened. It makes far less sense for her urn to appear in the Hall of the Dead if he killed her offscreen and was otherwise lying; why would he do that? To cut off a potential future ally for no reason for the sake of gloating? No, if he was an assassin, he would have killed her and left her in a ditch. The fact that he had his men stay his hand when you approach indicates his intentions; he is telling the truth, and being the commander of what is clearly an elite force of warriors, he would know what happened during Hammerfell's battle against the Thalmor.
He's a part of it, and would not be misinformed. His story is clear and concise, and all his supposed insults reveal is that he is not afraid of being blunt with the Dragonborn. A liar attempting to smooth-talk you into helping him (whilst he has the advantage of numbers and could literally beat the information out of you if he wanted - torture = assassin tactic) would not risk insulting you. Which gets to the final point I would personally like to make, the question about faction: the Thalmor may be manipulating (or attempting to manipulate) the Stormcloaks to serve their own ends, but that does not mean it is the right decision to side with the Empire to 'bide time'. The Empire lost once, and the current Emperor is too weak-willed to be much of a leader; if you play the Dark Brotherhood questline, he lets you kill him without so much as a fight. He practically lays down and dies for some nonsense about 'destiny'.
The Dark Brotherhood questline is by no means a Good-aligned questline, but it does showcase the nature of the Emperor. A man who is too weak to rule.Frankly, and this is just my impression based upon what I have seen in the game, Ulfric knows what the Thalmor are doing. He knows they want to see him fight the Empire in the hopes of weakening it. And ultimately, in this, they succeed; the Empire as a whole is weakened. But Skyrim, on the other hand, is stronger for breaking off of the Empire; the Empire is in its dying days, corruption and stagnation taking its toll.
To fall in step with the Aldmeri Dominion's demands in the hopes of 'maybe' being strong enough to fight them in the future is to place the enemy above them. To place the enemy above them is to accept a position of submission.
To accept a position of submission is to invite weakness. And inviting weakness leads to a population of sheep, too weak and too afraid to stand up to the Aldmeri Dominion. The only way to have any hope of standing up to them is through solidarity and strong leadership, which is what the Stormcloaks ultimately represent: sticking together, taking care of your own, and doing the right thing no matter the odds and no matter how difficult.Just my thoughts.
Saadia's urn appearing in the Hall of the Dead in Whiterun doesn't really prove her innocence or guilt. It could be the case that prior to executing a traitor, they give them the choice of where to be buried. It could also be a game mechanic where named NPCs that die are put in the Hall of the Dead appropriate to their faction (Whiterun Crime Faction, would be Saadia).you capture her and turn her over to Kematu, then kill her, Kematu will say: 'All this effort & you kill her? You've ruined everything'.
Maybe Kematu is telling the truth, or at least he's not lying. (Lying requiring intent to deceive).