Skyrim:Saadia

Saadia (RefID: 000D7505)
Home City	Whiterun
Store	The Bannered Mare
Race	Redguard	Gender	Female
Level	4	Class	Food Vendor
RefID	000D7505	BaseID	00013BA2
Merchant
Gold	100 (+1000 Master Trader)
Sells	See The Bannered Mare
Buys	Innkeeper (Food, Raw Food)
Other Information
Health	75	Magicka	60
Stamina	60
Primary Skills	One-handed
Morality	No Crime	Aggression	Unaggressive
Voice Type	FemaleSultry
Faction(s)	CrimeFactionWhiterun; MS08 Saadia Faction; Server; ServicesWhiterunBanneredMare; TownWhiterunFaction; Whiterun Bannered Mare Faction

Saadia

Saadia, also known as Iman, is a Redguard living and working in Whiterun's inn, The Bannered Mare. She spends her days helping Hulda around the inn, sweeping the floors, cooking meals and serving food and drink to any customers or residents present.

She has her own room above the kitchen; it has one bed and a few cupboards. She goes to bed at midnight. At 9am she will work for a long twelve hours, during which she alternates between cleaning, cooking, and serving customers. After 8pm she will stop cooking and focus on serving customers. She was supposed to go listen to Heimskr preaching outside, but doesn't due to an oversight (see bugs).

If you sit down in any seat inside the inn Hulda will call out to her to serve you, she will then approach and initiate conversation offering a choice of food and/or drinks from the same merchant chest as Hulda.

Prior to her arrival in Skyrim, Saadia, or "Iman" to use her true name, as revealed during her quest, was a noble belonging to one of the most powerful houses in Hammerfell. According to her, when the Aldmeri Dominion spread to her province, she spoke out against the Dominion and was forced to leave the land. She made her way to Skyrim and arrived in Whiterun to hide. She is hunted down as a fugitive by mercenary soldiers known as the Alik'r. However, the Alik'r claim that Iman betrayed Hammerfell to the Aldmeri and is now wanted for treason.

The fact that her true name is not Saadia is the only fact not disputed by either side. Both stories are full of holes and there is no hard evidence to support either case. Thus, it is up to you to pass judgment and choose who to help during In My Time of Need.

During her quest she will wait in her room and not keep to her normal schedule. After her quest, if you have sided with her, she will return to her normal routine and will never mention the Alik'r again; she will also keep her new name Saadia. If you side with the Alik'r, Saadia will be permanently removed from the game, and no other residents of the inn will take notice, or mention her.

Saadia wears barkeep clothes and a pair of shoes. She carries a key to the inn, and after her quest she has a steel dagger equipped (if you sided with her).

Related Quests

• In My Time Of Need: Find a Redguard woman who is on the run from Hammerfell.

Dialogue

Her greetings:

"If it's work you're looking for, Hulda's the one to talk to."

"If you need more food or drink, speak to Hulda."

"Mind your manners and pay your bills, and you'll always be welcome."

Quest-Related Events

In My Time Of Need

If spoken to after the quest has started:

Did you know some Alik'r warriors are looking for a Redguard woman?

"Are you sure? Oh no! They've found me? I need your help! Please, come with me. I need to speak to you privately."

She will then lead you upstairs to her room. If you try to speak to her, she will only say:

"Quickly, come with me."

After following her, she will draw her dagger on you:

"So, are you working with them? You think you can take me? You so much as touch me, and you're going to lose fingers. I mean it! I'll... I'll cut you in half!"

At this point, she will engage in dialogue:

"So the Alik'r know where I am? What did they offer you? Gold? How many more of them are coming? Tell me!"

You will have three options:

Relax, I'm not going to hurt you.

"Then I need your help and there isn't anyone I can trust here in the city."

They just asked me to find you.

"You can't tell them! Please, I need your help and there isn't anyone I can trust here in the city."

Put that down before you get hurt.

"I'm sorry, just... Just don't hurt me. I know you're not one of them, but you just can't help them. You can't let them know I'm here. Please, will you help me? There's no one here I can trust."

All three options will lead to:

Perhaps. If there's money in it.

"There will be. Of that, you can be assured. I am not the person that the people of Whiterun think I am. My name is Iman. I am a noble of House Suda in Hammerfell. The men who are looking for me, the Alik'r, they are assassins in the employ of the Aldmeri Dominion. They wish to exchange my blood for gold. I need you to root them out and drive them away before they find me and drag me back to Hammerfell for an execution."

Maybe. What do you want?

"I am not the person that the people of Whiterun think I am. My name is Iman. I am a noble of House Suda in Hammerfell. The men who are looking for me, the Alik'r, they are assassins in the employ of the Aldmeri Dominion. They wish to exchange my blood for gold. I need you to root them out and drive them away before they find me and drag me back to Hammerfell for an execution."

Both options lead to:

How am I supposed to get rid of them?

"They're mercenaries, only in it for the money. They're led by a man named Kematu. Get rid of him, and the rest will scatter. I don't dare show my face, lest they recognize me, so you'll have to find out where they are."

Any suggestions as to how I find them?

"I heard one of them was just arrested trying to sneak into the city. If he's locked up in the jail, perhaps you can get it out of him. Please, I know I'm asking you to do something difficult, maybe even dangerous. I just don't know who else I can trust."

Why haven't you gone to the guards for help?

"You think I'd be in hiding if this was something I trusted town guards to handle? These men are ruthless. Cunning, deceitful... they'll pay off whoever they can. I can't trust anyone here in Whiterun. Guards and Jarls can be bought. And the Alik'r are close; I'm running out of time, so I'm choosing to trust you."

Why are the Alik'r after you?

"I don't know for sure. I spoke out against the Aldmeri Dominion publicly; I suspect that's why these men were hired to hunt me down."

Her goodbye will be:

"Find me the moment the Alik'r are taken care of."

Attempting to speak with her again will only yield the same dialogue options as before.

Siding with Saadia

If you side with Saadia:

"Any news of the Alik'r?"

The Alik'r won't trouble you anymore.

"At last. I can rest safely. You have done me a great service, warrior. I cannot thank you enough. Take this reward. I managed to sneak some of my wealth out of Hammerfell when I left. It's the least I can do. For now, I will maintain my ruse here. You are always welcome in the Bannered Mare."

Siding with Kematu

If you side with Kematu:

I was unable to defeat them all, and they're coming for you. (Lie)

"What? How? I thought they weren't allowed within the city!"

They've found a way in. We need to get you out of here. (Lie)

"But where will I go? I can't keep running forever!"

There's a horse waiting at the stables. I'll make sure you're safe. (Lie)

"After all this, I have to pick up and leave again? If you really think this is the only way, I trust you. Let's not waste any time."

Saadia and Kematu at Whiterun Stables

When you have lied to Saadia and lured her to Whiterun Stables for a safe escape on horseback, she will find no horse but instead Kematu who will greet her appropriately:

Kematu: "We meet at last, my dear lady."
Saadia: "What is this? What have you done?"
Kematu: "Oh, come now. You didn't really expect to manipulate people forever, did you? Your luck had to run out sometime."

After the quick conversation, Kematu will cast a Paralyze spell on Saadia.

Siding with Kematu then Saadia

While Kematu and Saadia are talking at the stables, you can still kill Kematu before he casts the spell on Saadia, you can then speak to Saadia:

There, now you're safe.

"You liar! How could you do that to me!"

Relax. Kematu's dead, and now you're safe.

"You could have warned me you were baiting me into a trap. But you're right. This should scatter the rest of them. I can go back to my life for now. And I have you to thank for it. I won't forget this."

I didn't want to risk you not coming.

"A risky game to play, friend. But now Kematu's gone, and the rest of his snakes should slither back to their desert. I can go back to my life for now. And I have you to thank for it. I won't forget this."

Notes

• Saadia will never be able to rent the inn's bed to you. If Hulda dies, Ysolda takes over running the inn.

Bugs

• Saadia should go outside to listen to Heimskr's preaching from 3pm to 7pm, but her work package at the inn overrides it.
  • The Unofficial Skyrim Patch, version 1.3.3, fixes this bug.