A Needle in a Haystack | Main Quests Kingdom Come

A Needle in a Haystack is a highly complex main quest in Kingdom Come: Deliverance. In this quest, Henry must enter the Monastery of Saint Benedict while posing as a nobleman named Karl. The aim of this visit is to locate Pious and either arrest or kill him. Staying in the monastery is quite challenging as Henry may face punishment or be expelled from the order if he fails to comply with the rules imposed on all novices. Here is information on identifying and dealing with Pious, as well as avoiding trouble with the elders during your stay at Sasau Monastery.

It’s worth noting that this quest has a frustrating glitch that can cause certain characters, such as Antony (whom you must follow), to become stuck. Try not to obstruct other people and refer to the monastery map to learn when a particular NPC has been “teleported” elsewhere.

• Introduction to Monastery Life
• Duties of the Novice
• Penalties for Breaking the Rules
• Acquiring the Lockpick and Monastery Key
• Finding Pious
• First Choice about Pious
• Extracting Pious from the Monastery
• Second Choice about Pious

Introduction to Monastery Life

After watching the chapel scene, Novice Antonius greets you and gives you the book Everyday Labours (more on the daily routine and why it’s important to follow it can be found in the next chapter).

If this is your first time playing the quest, accept Antonius’s offer to tour the monastery and show you the essential locations. Arriving at specific spots at particular times of day is a requirement to avoid trouble. After the “tour,” you can rest in the dormitory (prayers and work start the next day) or start exploring the monastery and meeting its inhabitants.

The essential locations in the monastery (which you’ll learn about on the “tour” with Antonius) are:

The Sasau Monastery is a strict and disciplined place where Henry must follow the daily schedule to avoid trouble while searching for the Pious. The quest begins in the Chapel where Henry must attend Mass twice a day. He can also rest in the Dormitory and save the game. The Garden is a central location where he can meet other novices and take on side quests. The Refectory is where Henry must complete tasks given by Brother Nevlas, while the Library requires him to complete tasks from Brother Librarian. The Dining Room is where meals are consumed twice a day.

Other locations include the Basement, which contains a cellar for novices who break the rules and offers a side quest. The Kitchen and Storage Room are located next to the Dining Room, but Henry is not allowed to enter. The Alchemy Station is next to the Refectory and contains items needed to complete Brother Nevlas’ tasks. The Prior’s Room is a forbidden zone on the upper floor near the Library, but Henry can explore it at night and even rob the Prior for the Monastery Key.

It’s important for Henry to remember the daily schedule and follow it strictly. The book Everyday Labours in his inventory can help him keep track of his duties, but the side quest In the Cloister from his diary will also be frequently updated with his next tasks. Depending on his decisions, Henry may spend a few hours to several days in the monastery, so following the schedule is necessary.

At 3:00 am, the day begins. It’s not necessary to set the alarm at this exact hour as the first mandatory activity starts at 4:00 am. At 4:00 am, head to the chapel for morning prayer, where Henry will be joined by other characters. You can speed up time if you have no additional activities to complete. During the prayer, make sure not to leave the chapel and avoid being seen while exploring other parts of the monastery. At 6:00 am, have a common meal in the dining room, and don’t leave the room to avoid being seen. You can explore the kitchen and storage room during this time. At 8:00 am, work in the refectory where Brother Nevlas will give you a task to create potions. Collect the necessary herbs and interact with the alchemy station. Brother Nevlas will evaluate your work once it’s done. At 12:00 pm, work in the library where Brother Librarian will give you tasks to rewrite books. Select fragments of texts from the list that overlap with the book on the screen and Brother Librarian will evaluate your work. At 4:00 pm, attend the afternoon worship in the chapel, and at 6:00 pm, have a common supper in the dining room. Avoid being seen by other characters and explore the storage room if you wish.

At 19:00, the monks have Compline, and this is also free time for them. Visitors can use this time to explore places they haven’t visited yet, but be warned that some areas are still off-limits. At 21:00, visitors must go to the dormitory on the upper floor, but they don’t have to sleep there. Instead, they can explore the monastery at night, but they should be careful of lone monks and novices. Breaking the rules can lead to being thrown out of the order, so visitors should stick to the schedule outlined in the book they received from Antonius. Some rooms are off-limits, and visitors can be punished for breaking the daily schedule or committing crimes like using lockpicks or attacking other characters. If caught, visitors may be detained by Stibor or one of the other monks.

If you commit a minor offense for the first or second time, you may receive a reprimand and continue playing the game after a conversation. However, if you commit a serious offense, you may receive a reprimand and end up in the isolation cell for 1-2 days. To avoid being thrown out of the order, refrain from being aggressive after getting arrested or receiving multiple reprimands. During detention, Henry may be searched and lose all items in his inventory. It is advisable not to steal items until they are needed for a quest. When trying to capture the Pious, save the game often and hide in places where no one can see you during the day to avoid meetings involving reprimands or punishment. The lockpick and Monastery Key are useful items that allow you to move around the monastery more easily. You can find the lockpick behind the altar in the chapel or purchase it from Brother Cellarius for 20 groschen and food.

One way to solve the problem of not having enough money to buy lockpicks from Brother Cellarius is to find Siskin’s hidden stash. Siskin is one of the novices, and his stash can be found in the dormitory on the upper floor. Look for the movable plate on the balcony, and you’ll find 200 Groschen there. With that money, you can buy 10 or more lockpicks.

To get the Monastery Key, there are two methods. The first is to search the storeroom next to the dining room. The key is on a shelf in the last room of the storage room. The second method is to steal from the prior. Sneak into the library on the upper floor and explore the neighboring rooms. The door to Prior’s room is locked with a hard lock, but if you can open it and choke him while he’s sleeping, you can safely acquire the key.

If you’re trying to find Pious, one of the novices in the monastery, you can speak with all of them, but it’s not necessary. If you do speak with them, be careful not to confess that you’re a spy, as this can get you into trouble. You can also try to sneak into Prior’s private chambers on the upper floor and search for notes about the novices, but these notes may not provide any obvious trails to Pious. These steps are optional and can be skipped.

The novice Antonius is the Pious that needs to be found in this quest. Before speaking with him, one can search his quarters to find a chest with a dagger hidden inside. During the conversation with Antonius, one can confess to infiltrating the monastery and bring up the topic of the found dagger. Antonius will explain himself and ask for the dagger back, but one can use intimidation to keep it. After eating a meal in the dining room and staying there for two in-game hours, Henry will be poisoned and lose consciousness. Upon waking up, it is revealed that Antonius is the one who poisoned him. The player can choose to attack Antonius, agree to his plan to escape the monastery, or initially agree to his plan and then kill him. It is recommended to complete side quests before leaving the monastery.

Freeing Pious from the Monastery

This section pertains to the second method discussed earlier. After identifying Pious, you need to convince him to let you help him fake his own death and escape from the monastery.

The first step is to obtain a lockpick or a Monastery Key. Check the previous section for information on how to acquire these items. A quick way is to retrieve the lockpick hidden behind the altar in the chapel.

The second step is to obtain fresh animal blood. You can do this by sneaking into the kitchen adjacent to the monastery dining room. It is best to attempt this during mealtimes or in the middle of the night. Find the sheet of paper displayed in the first screenshot and place an order by interacting with it. Wait for 24 hours and hide in the storage room to speed up time. After the time has passed, return to the kitchen and collect the Goatskin filled with blood (second screenshot).

With the lockpick or Monastery Key and blood in hand, go to Antonius. If there is a risk of being caught, wait until nighttime and sneak into the dormitory. Wake up Antonius and inform him that you have all the necessary items.

Meet Antonius in the dormitory after the evening mass at precisely 6 p.m. Go to the balcony next to the room with the beds, stand in the corner, and speed up time. Locate Antonius at 6 p.m. (screenshot). A cutscene involving blood will commence. Follow Pious, and you will arrive at one of the monastery’s exits, where your companion will utilize the lockpick/Monastery Key to open the doors automatically.

Deciding Pious’s Fate

If you aided Pious/Antonius in his fake death and escaped the monastery together, you must now determine his future. A discussion will ensue, during which you can:

1. Release Pious. In exchange, Antonius will present you with a Lucky Playing Die.
2. Detain Pious. He will not surrender willingly, and you will have to defeat him in a fistfight. After winning the fight, Antonius will be automatically confined to a cell.
3. Eliminate Pious. In this scenario, you must fight and kill him. Once finished, you may investigate his corpse for a Lucky Playing Die.

FAQ

What is A Needle in a Haystack?

A Needle in a Haystack is a main quest in Kingdom Come: Deliverance, a role-playing video game set in medieval Bohemia. The quest is triggered after the player has completed the quest “Mysterious Ways” and focuses on the main character, Henry, infiltrating a monastery to find a particular monk who may have information about the bandits who attacked the town of Skalitz.

How do you complete A Needle in a Haystack?

To complete A Needle in a Haystack, the player must sneak into the monastery, located in Sasau, and find the specific monk they are looking for. However, the monastery is heavily guarded, so the player must avoid detection by the guards and other monks. The player can choose to complete additional tasks within the monastery, such as copying a forbidden book or uncovering a secret plot, but these are not necessary to complete the quest. Once the player finds the target monk, they must either persuade him to reveal the information or use force to extract it. The quest ends with the player leaving the monastery and returning to Sir Radzig, who will give them further instructions.