- Needle In A Haystack how to get blood: Use the kitchen setup to collect the goatskin filled with blood.
- Required route: Choose Pious’s staged murder plan instead of killing him immediately.
- Best timing: Place the paper in the kitchen, then return the next day for the blood.
- Important item: Real blood is required; fake blood does not satisfy the objective.
- Final step: Give the blood to Antonius and meet him after evening mass.
Needle In A Haystack How to Get Blood
Needle In A Haystack how to get blood is tied to the optional objective for staging Pious’s murder inside the Sasau Monastery. The blood is not a random loot item and does not come from combat, hunting, or an alchemy recipe. You must first reach the appropriate dialogue with Antonius, agree to his escape plan, and then use the monastery kitchen to trigger the delivery.
The objective appears as Get blood (0/1). It is only necessary if you want to convince the bandits that Pious has been killed while allowing him to escape. Choosing a direct murder route bypasses this requirement, but it also changes the available conclusion.
What the Blood Does
- Supports the staged murder plan
- Helps create evidence that Pious was killed
- Allows Henry and Pious to leave the monastery together
What You Need
- Access to Antonius’s proposal
- A monastery key or lockpicks
- One full day for the blood to arrive
What Does Not Work
- Fake blood
- Killing an unrelated novice without the plan
- Searching random containers for a blood item
Choose the staged murder option when Antonius presents his proposals. The blood objective is part of that plan, not a general monastery collection task.
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Quest | A Needle in a Haystack |
| Objective | Get blood (0/1) |
| Location | Sasau Monastery kitchen |
| Item form | Goatskin filled with blood |
| Needed for | Staged murder route |
| Does fake blood work? | No |
The relevant quest sequence begins after Henry identifies Antonius as Pious or receives enough information to confront him. Antonius may offer several solutions, including an innocent scapegoat and a staged murder. Select the staged murder plan if you want the blood objective to become useful.
The A Needle in a Haystack quest walkthrough provides the broader monastery route, including the novice investigation, Antonius’s proposals, and the final escape.
Step-by-Step Blood Collection
The blood collection process has a fixed order. Do not expect the goatskin to appear immediately after speaking with Antonius. First, Henry must initiate the kitchen preparation, then wait until the following day before returning to collect it.
Agree to the Staged Murder
Speak with Antonius after determining that he is Pious. Choose the proposal where he helps Henry stage his own murder and escape the monastery. Antonius will provide a marigold decoction and an antidote, then explain that the plan requires a monastery key or lockpicks and real blood.
Secure Access Tools
Obtain the monastery key or at least one lockpick before the final meeting. These tools support the wider escape plan. The blood objective can still be prepared through the kitchen, but leaving without the required access option may prevent the route from progressing smoothly.
Enter the Kitchen
Sneak into the monastery kitchen. Look for the table positioned against the south wall. The kitchen is restricted during much of the daily routine, so use a quiet period when fewer monks and servants are present.
Use the Paper on the Table
Interact with the piece of paper on the table. This action starts the delivery arrangement. The blood will not be available immediately, so avoid wasting time searching the kitchen after using the paper.
Return the Next Day
Come back to the kitchen on the following day. The goatskin filled with blood should be on the table where the list was located. Pick it up, then speak with Antonius so he can take the blood and continue the staged murder plan.
The blood arrives the next day. Leaving the kitchen and immediately returning will not normally produce the goatskin.
| Sequence | Location | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Antonius | Accept staged murder | Blood objective becomes relevant |
| 2 | Kitchen, south wall | Use the paper | Delivery is arranged |
| 3 | Kitchen, next day | Pick up the goatskin | Blood objective advances |
| 4 | Monastery | Speak with Antonius | Blood is surrendered |
| 5 | Dormitory area | Meet after evening mass | Staged escape begins |
The schedule is easier to manage if you treat the first kitchen visit as preparation rather than an item pickup. After using the paper, continue with monastery duties, investigations, or sleep. Return on the next day once the kitchen has reset.
Monastery Timing and Safe Movement
Sasau Monastery is governed by a strict routine. Henry is disguised as Brother Gregor, but he can still be punished for trespassing, theft, lockpicking, brawling, or being caught outside the required schedule. The blood route becomes much safer when you plan around the daily timetable instead of forcing the kitchen visit during busy hours.
During the first evening, Henry has free time before the monastery routine becomes more restrictive. Later at night, many monks go to sleep while the circators move through the cellar and dormitory areas. This creates opportunities for quiet movement, although visibility and restricted areas remain important risks.
Low-Risk Preparation
- Introduce yourself to the novices
- Learn the monastery layout
- Keep the monk’s habit equipped
Kitchen Visit
- Travel during a quiet period
- Approach the south-wall table
- Use the paper rather than searching containers
Next-Day Collection
- Return after the delivery period
- Take the goatskin from the table
- Report to Antonius promptly
Keeping the monk’s habit equipped and avoiding unnecessary trespassing reduces the chance of warnings, confinement, or losing access to the staged murder route.
| Risk | Possible consequence | Safer response |
|---|---|---|
| Caught stealing | Solitary confinement | Avoid unnecessary containers |
| Caught lockpicking | Solitary confinement | Lockpick only when the route requires it |
| Leaving the monastery | Expulsion | Follow the staged escape sequence |
| Weapon discovered | Expulsion | Keep weapons stored |
| Breaking monastery duties | Warnings or confinement | Complete required labor objectives |
The monastery’s punishment system makes preparation more valuable than speed. A failed stealth attempt can consume time and place Henry in confinement, which may disrupt the delivery schedule. Store weapons and unnecessary equipment before entering the cloister, and avoid carrying items that could cause trouble during a search.
If Henry is searched, confiscated possessions are placed in the gatehouse chest. However, the safest approach is to avoid triggering a search while working through the blood objective.
Completing the Staged Murder Route
After collecting the goatskin, speak with Antonius. He takes the blood and any relevant escape items, including the monastery key or one lockpick if available. He then instructs Henry to meet him after evening mass, giving the pair a final day inside the monastery.
The meeting occurs around the dormitory balcony north of the dormitory. After the conversation, the staged assassination plays out through a short sequence. Henry and Pious then leave through the side exit of the church, pass through the construction area, and escape the monastery.
Do not treat the blood pickup as the end of the quest step. You must still hand it to Antonius and attend the meeting after evening mass.
| Final Route | Pious’s Fate | Main Result |
|---|---|---|
| Kill Pious outside | Pious dies | Henry escapes alone |
| Bring Pious to justice | Pious is arrested | Henry receives 1050 Prague Groschen from the bailiff |
| Let Pious go | Pious escapes | Pious gives Henry his strange die |
The staged murder route gives Henry control over the final decision after leaving the monastery:
- Kill Pious and run: This ends the threat, but killing him outside the monastery means the strange die is not found on his corpse.
- Bring Pious to justice: Defeat him in a fistfight. Henry and Pious are then taken to the jail in Rattay, and the bailiff awards 1050 Prague Groschen.
- Let Pious go: Pious thanks Henry for allowing him to escape and gives him the strange die as proof that the supposed murder was completed.
The blood is therefore a route-specific objective rather than a universal quest requirement. If the goal is the justice outcome, the staged murder plan remains useful because it allows Henry to leave the monastery with Pious before making the final choice.
Blood Route Checklist:
- Identify Antonius as Pious or reach his proposal dialogue
- Choose the staged murder plan
- Secure a monastery key or at least one lockpick
- Use the paper on the kitchen table against the south wall
- Return the next day and give the goatskin filled with blood to Antonius
Needle In A Haystack Blood FAQ
Q: Where do I get blood in A Needle in a Haystack?
Agree to Antonius’s staged murder plan, use the paper on the table against the south wall in the monastery kitchen, then return the next day. The goatskin filled with blood appears on the table where the list was placed.
Q: Does fake blood work for the objective?
No. The staged murder plan requires the real blood item delivered through the monastery kitchen sequence. Fake blood does not satisfy the objective.
Q: Do I need blood if I kill Pious immediately?
No. Blood is tied to the staged murder route. A direct kill follows a different resolution and does not require the kitchen delivery.
Q: What should I do after collecting the goatskin?
Speak with Antonius so he can take the blood and continue the plan. After the next evening mass, meet him on the balcony north of the dormitory to begin the staged escape.
For the most flexible ending, collect the blood, complete the staged escape, and decide Pious’s fate only after leaving the monastery.
The most common mistake is searching for blood before activating the kitchen arrangement. Another is collecting the goatskin but failing to meet Antonius afterward. Treat the objective as a three-part chain: start the delivery, wait for the next day, and report back to Pious.
This route also preserves the ability to choose between justice, mercy, and execution after the monastery escape. The blood itself does not determine the final outcome; it simply makes the staged murder believable enough to move the quest forward.