What the game says is that he paid to get to stay in. The two bandits at the entrance have a whole conversation about it. He also said he was going to leave once Saadia was found.

What I think is he probably had enough men to take out all the bandits and takeover the cave anyway, it was easy money for the bandits, so the bandits just accepted payment.

Didn't hear that conversation. Wasn't sneaking, so I just walked right in and they attacked me.

At this point, I have no idea which was telling the truth, and we've got no evidence either way. So on further playthroughs, I plan to just do what feels right and what fits with the character I'm playing. On my Paladin, he would trust and feel an urge to protect the woman, Its just her vs a gang of mercenaries anyways.

I sided with Saadia just cuz I thought I might get lots of money/valuable items from looting 5-6 guards... but nooo, the only one I could loot anything from is Kematu, and he's only got 100 gold
The chest that was there didn't had much either.. wonder if I would make more money siding with Kematu.. LOL Yeah, I'm a greedy bastard.

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The nature of the quest is such that you have a huge grey area and not enough information to make a good decision with some level of certainty. Unlike Stormcloaks vs Imperials, where I could easily decide to join Imperials, especially since people in the forum who join Stormcloaks have personality I don't like, and join Stormcloaks for all the wrong reasons (being hot-headed, generalizing, of criminal mindset, problem with authority and such). Note that I don't mind RP reasons to join Stormcloaks, such as intentionally making a traitor character, a bandit, quisling etc.


My reasoning for wanting to help Saadia:

* Alikr hiding in a bandit cave. Why? If you were unwanted in the city, would you rather sleep at the Honningbrew Meadery or somewhere, or go to a bandit cave?

* Alik'r prisoner seems like a petty thief considering the low fine I payed to bail him out (edit: proved false, he only wanted to sneak into the city).

* When I first meet Alikr they don't want to say why they hunt the woman. They only offer money and expect me to do something for money alone. Not a good impression.

Sure, they wanted to talk to me after I arrived in the cave. But that's because of two reasons: a) I would've killed them otherwise, or they wouldn't want to risk 50:50 chance, and b ) they needed someone to lure Saadia out of the town, so why not me as a svcker for justice.



There is really not enough information though.


(Edit: eventually I sided with Kematu)

I sided with Kematu. And really, it makes sense to me..she pulled a blade the moment she had me alone. She played the "I'm so helpless" card, but only once she realized she was probably screwed if she took myself AND Lydia on in a fight. She was ready to kill me if she'd seen weakness. Where others have seen a woman being set up, I saw a woman using her feminine wiles as a way to get me to do what she wanted.

(Isn't it awesome how we can all put our own interpretation on this quest and the main players in it?)

For me that's one of the reasons to side *with* Saadia.

Being smart, cautious, not naive, alert - that I respect in her even if she is to be blamed for something else.


You contradict yourself, first you mention "feminine wiles" and then how you were bothered by her drawing the dagger. Confronting someone openly face-to-face with a weapon isn't "feminine" at all (if she backstabbed you on the stairs it would be different). If she was using "feminine wiles" she would do a puppy-eye look, cry how miserable she is, and let you pamper her. She didn't play on emotion card at all.

Update:


(Started again with another character.)


Sided with Kematu.


I was wrong on more than one point.


1. Payed a close attention to the dialogue, and it turned out the Alik'r in the prison wasn't a petty thief or something. He simply tried to sneak into the city. Which doesn't cast a bad light on Kematu, considering the situation.
This Alik'r prisoner did tell me where Kematu is, which can be seen as bad (choosing unreliable companions) or neutral (I could've followed Alik'r from Whiterun to the cave, or he assumed I won't be able to kill Kematu anyway).

2. Saadia doesn't tell much of a story. Kematu gives a full explanation.

3. Alik'r do hide in a cave with bandits which can be seen as bad ("birds of a feather.."), or neutral (they are on a manhunt after all, unwelcome in the city). So perhaps they wanted to stay away from city population altogether. They still could've killed the bandits, and the fact they didn't could be bad (they sympathize with bandits because they are similiar) or neutral (they dont want unnecessary bloodshed, it's none of their business, they simply don't care) or even good (no risk of losing own men fighting numerous bandits in foreign lands; they want to focus on their task).


This pretty much nullifies all the anti-Kematu points I had before.


Considering Kematu's far better explanation of the situation, and Saadia's simple "they're after me, help" explanation, and taking into account RP (the pleasure of helping Alik'r capture Aldmeri traitor vs just helping innocent woman escape), I am siding with Kematu in my current game and this is probably my final decision on this (unless some other evidence surfaces).

I sided with Kematu. Saadia pulling dagger on me the first time you talk to her made me wanna end her on the spot.

I sided with Saadia.

first of all, according to the book the Great War, hammerfell's war with Aldmeri Dominion stopped on year 4E180. they sighed Second Treaty of Stros M'kai and the withdrawal of Aldmeri forces from Hammerfell.

so, basically the war was over, and according to Kematu, he said Saadia sold her city Taneth to Aldmeri during the war. well, here is the question, how old is Saadia?

in my opinion, she is a young lady, no elder than 30. and since present time is 4E201, she was only 10years old during the war. (the Great War).

hence there is no evidence proving later after 4E180 there are other wars within Hammerfell, I guess the Kematu is lying.

He has some other purpose to catch Saadia ALIVE but he won't say.

Secondly, as a betrayer, Saadia is far too less qualified. She gets very nervous when the Player questioning her, and obviously she hates these chaser very much. Also, she is very stupid to believe Player when luring her getting outside of city to the stable, how could a spy so silly enough to trust others? Should a betrayer be more cautious?? Suspecting all the people around her? this proves she is a quite young lady.

I sided with Kematu. I was thinking if he was a assassin he would have attacked rather than reasoning with me. He had the advantage all the way in that cave so that swayed me a little. Also I didn't like when Saadia pulled out that knife and threatened me for almost no reason near the beginning of the quest (you could argue she was scared but that's not what her tone of voice told me).