- Needle in a Haystack takes place inside a monastery and centers on identifying Antonius.
- Core route: speak with Antonius, rest, attend the dining hall, then survive the poisoning sequence.
- Escape method: obtain monastery keys and prepare goat skin filled with blood.
- Choice point: you may fight Antonius after the escape or honor the agreement and let him go.
- Bug workaround: if Antonius disappears after the cutscene, follow the intended path until you reach him.
needle in a haystack Quest Overview
Needle in a Haystack is a monastery investigation quest in Kingdom Come: Deliverance. The objective is to locate the person you are looking for while working within the monastery’s strict schedule. The quest combines dialogue, timed waiting, stealth-friendly exploration, and a final decision involving Antonius.
The safest approach is to treat the monastery routine as part of the puzzle. Rest when required, attend the dining hall when the sequence demands it, and search the kitchen carefully before attempting the escape. Rushing through rooms can make important items difficult to locate.
Video Highlights:
- Antonius is identified shortly after arriving at the monastery.
- The dining hall sequence triggers a poisoning event.
- The kitchen contains the orders, blood preparation, and monastery keys.
- The escape begins at approximately 6:00 p.m.
- The final confrontation allows either a fight or a peaceful resolution.
| Quest Stage | Main Objective | Important Area |
|---|---|---|
| Arrival | Speak with Antonius and reveal your purpose | Monastery interior |
| Routine | Rest until the next day and follow the schedule | Sleeping quarters |
| Poisoning | Eat in the dining hall and wait for the event | Dining hall |
| Preparation | Find orders, keys, and blood supplies | Kitchen area |
| Escape | Meet Antonius and leave the monastery | Dormitory balcony |
| Resolution | Decide Antonius’s fate | Outside the monastery |
This guide covers the poisoning event, the escape plan, the monastery keys, and the final choice involving Antonius.
Investigation
- Locate the suspect inside the monastery
- Use dialogue to confirm Antonius’s identity
- Keep the quest moving through the daily routine
Preparation
- Search the kitchen after the required night sequence
- Collect the monastery keys
- Pick up the prepared goat skin filled with blood
Resolution
- Follow Antonius after the balcony cutscene
- Choose whether to fight or release him
- Bring him to the bailiff if you knock him out
How to Start the Monastery Investigation
The first major objective is to identify the person you are searching for. After entering the monastery, speak with Antonius and explain that you are looking for someone inside the monastery. The conversation establishes your intent and moves the quest toward its next phase.
After the conversation, go to the bed and rest until the following day. You can spend the intervening time completing duties or waiting in a hidden location. The exact activity is flexible, but resting until the next day is the important progression trigger.
| Action | What to Do | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Speak with Antonius | Explain that you are searching for a guide in the monastery | The investigation advances |
| Go to bed | Rest until the next day | The dining hall sequence becomes available |
| Use the waiting period | Complete duties or remain hidden | Optional activity before progression |
| Reach the dining hall | Eat when the routine requires it | The poisoning scene begins |
Find Antonius
Locate Antonius inside the monastery and begin the conversation. Tell him that you are looking for a guide or suspect within the monastery.
Rest Until Morning
Return to the sleeping area and rest until the next day. This is the most reliable way to move the quest into its next scheduled phase.
Choose Your Interim Activity
During the waiting period, either complete monastery duties or stay somewhere hidden. This choice affects how you spend the time, not the main objective.
Attend the Dining Hall
On the following day, go to the dining hall and eat. Remain patient after the meal so the poisoning sequence can activate.
The monastery schedule is more important than speed. If the next event does not trigger, return to the expected area, rest, and follow the daily routine again.
Surviving the Poisoning and Finding Supplies
The dining hall is a required turning point. After you sit down and eat, wait for roughly one or two hours. You will eventually stand up while poisoned, collapse, and trigger a cutscene. Once the scene ends, the quest gives you more freedom to decide how to handle Antonius.
The escape preparation route is the more involved option. It requires a nighttime visit to the kitchen, interaction with an orders document, and a later search for both the prepared blood and monastery keys.
| Supply | Where to Search | When It Becomes Available |
|---|---|---|
| Orders document | On a table in the kitchen | During the night after the poisoning sequence |
| Monastery keys | On a shelf in the back kitchen area | After searching through the kitchen’s rear rooms |
| Goat skin filled with blood | On a kitchen table | The following day after the orders are used |
| Antonius | Dormitory balcony | At approximately 6:00 p.m. during the escape |
The kitchen can be confusing because the key shelf is easy to overlook. Search the kitchen’s back room, then continue into the next back room. Check the shelves instead of relying only on the center of the room. The keys are small and may blend into the surrounding objects.
Use the kitchen orders during the night first. Then wait until the next day, return to the kitchen, and collect the goat skin filled with blood before speaking to Antonius.
Dining Hall
Eat when instructed, then wait for the poisoning event. Do not leave immediately after the meal.
Kitchen Table
Use the table with the orders document during the night. This starts the blood preparation step.
Back Rooms
Search beyond the first kitchen room. The monastery keys are on a shelf in the rear area.
Escape Route and Antonius Outcomes
Once the goat skin filled with blood and the monastery keys are in your possession, speak with Antonius. The escape sequence begins at approximately 6:00 p.m. Go to the dormitories where you sleep, then look for Antonius waiting at the balcony.
A cutscene follows the conversation. Afterward, follow Antonius out of the monastery. The route may appear inconsistent if he vanishes after the dialogue. Continue along the path indicated by the escape route rather than abandoning the objective. You should eventually reach Antonius.
| Decision | Immediate Action | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Fight Antonius | Engage him in an unarmed fight | Knocking him out allows you to bring him to the bailiff |
| Spare Antonius | Honor the agreement and let him leave | The quest resolves without the final fight |
| Lose sight of Antonius | Continue along the intended path | The route can lead you back to him |
| Delay the escape | Miss the evening meeting | Return to the schedule and prepare for another attempt |
The final decision depends on your preferred role-playing outcome. Fighting is the more direct option if you want to hand Antonius over to the bailiff. The peaceful option honors the agreement and avoids the additional confrontation.
If you choose combat, keep the encounter unarmed as required by the quest’s intended resolution. After knocking Antonius out, bring him to the bailiff so he can be questioned.
For the most straightforward completion, collect the keys and blood first, meet Antonius at the dormitory balcony at 6:00 p.m., then decide whether the bailiff or a peaceful release better suits your playthrough.
Quest Completion Checklist:
- Speak with Antonius inside the monastery
- Rest until the following day
- Eat in the dining hall and wait for the poisoning event
- Use the kitchen orders and collect the monastery keys
- Pick up the goat skin filled with blood
- Meet Antonius at the dormitory balcony around 6:00 p.m.
- Choose between fighting Antonius or letting him go
Troubleshooting and Common Mistakes
The most common issue in this quest is losing Antonius after the escape conversation. This can look like a failed objective, but the route may still be active. Continue along the path from the monastery instead of returning immediately to the dormitories. The intended route can lead you back to Antonius.
A second issue is searching for the keys in the wrong part of the kitchen. The first room is not enough. Move through the back room and into the additional rear area, then inspect the shelf carefully.
| Problem | Likely Cause | Recommended Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Poisoning does not trigger | The player leaves too soon after eating | Wait approximately one or two hours |
| Keys cannot be found | Only the main kitchen was searched | Check the back room and the next rear room |
| Blood is missing | The orders step was skipped | Use the orders during the night, then return the next day |
| Antonius disappears | The escape path appears to desynchronize | Follow the route from the cutscene location |
| Escape meeting fails | The 6:00 p.m. timing was missed | Recheck the schedule and try the meeting again |
Use manual saves before major transitions when possible. Save before eating in the dining hall, before beginning the kitchen preparation, and before meeting Antonius at the balcony. These saves make it easier to retry a missed trigger or test the final choice.
For broader information about the Kingdom Come: Deliverance series, consult the official Kingdom Come: Deliverance website. That site is useful for general game information, while the quest route above focuses on completing this monastery sequence.
The quest uses scheduled events. Missing a meal, waiting period, kitchen step, or evening meeting can make the objective appear stalled even when the quest remains active.
Needle in a Haystack FAQ
Q: What should I do first in Needle in a Haystack?
Speak with Antonius inside the monastery and explain that you are searching for a guide or suspect. Then rest until the next day so the dining hall sequence can begin.
Q: How do I trigger the poisoning event?
Go to the dining hall on the following day, eat the meal, and wait for roughly one or two hours. The poisoning, collapse, and cutscene should follow.
Q: Where are the monastery keys?
Search the kitchen’s rear area. Move through the first back room into another back room, then inspect the shelf carefully because the keys can be difficult to spot.
Q: What happens if Antonius disappears after the escape cutscene?
Continue along the intended path from the monastery instead of stopping. The route can appear bugged, but following the path may lead you back to Antonius.
The reliable sequence is dialogue, rest, dining hall, kitchen preparation, key collection, blood pickup, and the 6:00 p.m. balcony meeting.