Online:Priest Bavian

Priest Bavian is a Breton priestess of Meridia who can be found at Kilkreath Temple. When an unnatural storm hit the temple, she managed to lead a small number of priests and pilgrims to the safety of a small cave.
 

Related Quests




Quest-Related Events
Meridia's Brilliance
You can either come across her in the cave tending to Fragrydde or Priest Isonir‎ will direct you her to offer assistance.


:"Even in our darkest hour, Meridia provides a light. We were on our way to see High Priest Varkour when the storm hit. I've never seen such power. It raged like a thing alive. I gathered who I could, but the others are still out there."
:Where do you want me to look?
:"Start at the stables to the northwest. I saw Acolyte Hjolt, Priest Direnna, and Roligmolf the pilgrim seek shelter there. If you find them, send them back here. After that, meet me at the Pilgrims' Lodge, to the west of the temple."
:I'll look for the people you mentioned at the stables.

After you agree to help, you can speak with her again to ask her about the temple.
:"Look for Hjolt, Direnna, and Roligmolf at the stables, then meet me at the Pilgrims' lodge. I will head there after I finish caring for these injured souls. Meridia's light shine upon you, good friend."
:Tell me about Kilkreath Temple.
:"Kilkreath Temple provides a safe haven for the priests and pilgrims of Meridia. At least, it did. Before this terrible storm struck. The Lady of Light has always protected us. Why today should be different, I don't understand."
:Are you in charge of the temple?
::"No, that honor goes to our high priest, Varkour. I am but her humble assistant. She is my mentor. And my friend. After you find the others, I'll meet you at the Pilgrims' Lodge and we can search for the high priest together."
:Tell me about the storm you experienced.
::"We were on our way to the temple for prayers when an oily-black ichor roiled in the sky. The wind picked up and red streaks of lightning struck all around us. We barely made it to the safety of this cave. The storm abated, then the sounds started."
::What sounds?
::"Groans, shrieks, blood-curdling screams. It sounded like wild and feral beasts followed in the wake of the storm. I sent Priest Isonir outside to keep watch, but I told him not to take any unnecessary risks. We're priests, not soldiers, after all."''

Once you have searched the stables and learnt the fates of the three people you were sent to look for, you can meet with Priest Bavian at the Pilgrims' Lodge. When you enter the building she can be heard pleading:
:Priest Bavian: "Acolyte Eivina, please! Wake up!"

She can be found upstairs, using gold-colored magic while attempting to heal Acolyte Eivina who is blankly staring forward and swaying. Bavian soon gives up and begins to silently pray. You then talk with Bavian and tell her what you found out at the stables.
:''"Acolyte Eivina can't hear me. She's standing right here, but she's … gone."
:That acolyte, she's just like Priest Direnna at the stables.
:"Is this what would have happened to all of us if I hadn't gotten the others into the cave? I tried to heal Eivina, but Meridia's light had no effect. But what was that about Priest Direnna and the stables?"
:I found the people you sent me for. Hjolt is safe, Roligmolf is dead, and the other ….
:"Is like poor Eivina. We must find High Priest Varkour. If anyone is powerful enough to cure this unnatural ailment, it will be her. Meridia willing, we'll find the high priest and everyone else safe in the temple."
:Let's head to the temple.

Priest Bavian will ask for a moment before joining you.
:"Let me say a prayer for Eivina, make sure she's comfortable. I'll meet you outside."

After saying a final prayer for Acolyte Eivina, Priest Bavian will join you outside:
:Priest Bavian: "We need to find High Priest Varkour. Let's head to the temple."

If you speak with her while escorting her to the temple:
:"Poor Eivina. I pray that the high priest can remove this strange affliction. I just hope we don't find more victims of this unnatural storm as we head toward the temple."

When you arrive at the entrance temple itself its stone platform will be covered in bodies and harrowfiends. Priest Bavian will be shocked:
:Priest Bavian: "By Meridia's light! So many dead …."
:Priest Bavian: "How could Meridia let this happen to her faithful?"

Bavian will have questions and hopes that some people managed to escape the storm.
:"Did the storm kill all these people? Or was it the vampires we've seen roaming around? I just hope High Priest Varkour is safe inside."
:Who are these people?
:"Priests and pilgrims of Meridia. They must have sought shelter in the temple before this terrible fate befell them. If only they had been able to make it inside."
:Do you think the temple interior wasn't affected by the storm?
:"Truthfully, I cannot say. We found safety in the cave, but the storm struck the temple head on. I am more and more certain that the unnatural event was magical in nature, so anything is possible. But Meridia would protect this place, wouldn't she?"''

You can then help her investigate inside the Kilkreath Temple. Priest Bavian's hopes are quickly dashed when she sees the harrowfiends crawling around the passages, eating corpses:
:Priest Bavian: "Monsters, in this holy place? We need to find the temple priests!"

She will ask you to search for the temple priest and her acolytes.
:"Vampires have overrun the temple. How is this possible? Our master hates the undead! We need to search the temple. Make sure the temple priest and her acolytes are safe. Then we must find the high priest and pray she can help us end this nightmare."

When you find Acolyte Larilvor's body, you can take his amulet:
:Priest Bavian: "Poor Larilvor. Take his Meridian medallion so we can remember his sacrifice."

Talking to her afterwards.
:"Poor Larilvor held such promise. His faith in Meridia was so strong. How could he have died this way?"

You can the find Acolyte Croble on the other side of a window, Bavian will try and calm him:
:Acolyte Croble: ''"Priest Bavian! Our own brethren have turned against us! They've become monsters!"
:Priest Bavian: "Calm yourself, acolyte, and tell me where the high priest is."

After you have spoken to him, harrowfiend appears and begins to creep up on Croble.
:Acolyte Croble: "Who's there? Is that you, high priest—Aaaagh!"
: 
:Priest Bavian: "Our own brethren, like vicious animals. We must find the others."''

After witnessing Croble's death.
:''"Poor Croble, torn apart by one of our own. I don't know how it's possible, but the storm is to blame. It's turned both priest and pilgrim alike into some sort of fiend. We need to keep searching."''

When you enter the next area, Bavian will run up to Priest Triev who is standing over Acolyte Molozu's body:
:Priest Bavian: "Triev, Molozu!"
: 
:Priest Triev: "Molozu gave me no choice, Bavian. I swear it."

After you speak with Priest Triev, Bavian will notice another priest nearby and run after him.
:Priest Bavian: "Priest Ahmin? Wait!"
: 
:Priest Bavian: "Follow me. He fled into the vestry!"

When you enter the Kilkreath Vestry, Priest Bavian can be found hiding behind some crates on the far side of the room while she pleads to Priest Ahmin.
:Priest Bavian: ''"Ahmin, please! You don't want to do this!"

As you make your way around he can be found feasting on the body of another priest. Afterwards, you can reach Bavian who will be realizing an unpleasant truth. But first you need to reach the catacombs.
:"They're mad. Beyond all reason. Even in this temple, Meridia's light does nothing to help those afflicted with this feral curse. We need to reach the catacombs and find High Priest Varkour."
:How do we reach the catacombs?
:"The catacombs can be accessed from deeper within the temple. We just need to get the key from the chamberlain's sanctum. I think I know why the high priest went to the catacombs. It's not only a defensible location, it's where our relic is kept."
:What relic?
:"Meridia's Brilliance. It has the power to channel her light and purge the temple of this corruption. At least, I hope it does. High Priest Varkour wouldn't just hide in the catacombs. She must have a plan to save us."
:I'll get to the chamberlain's sanctum and find the key.

Speaking with her again before leaving:
:"Go ahead. I'll catch up. Just get that key from the chamberlain's sanctum."''

Once you have entered the Chamberlain's Sanctum and taken the key, you can enter the Meeting Hall where Priest Bavian will be waiting for you on the level below near the catacomb door.
:Priest Bavian: "Down here! Did you find the key that opens the catacombs?"

When you reach her, you can show her the key.
:''"Did you retrieve the key from the chamberlain's sanctum? We need it to open the door to the catacombs."
:I have the key.
:"Perfect! There are only two keys that I know of, and the high priest has the other one. Now open the door and let's find High Priest Varkour."

You can then open the door and lead her into the catacombs.
:"Keep moving. We need to search the catacombs and find High Priest Varkour. Hopefully, she's already with Meridia's Brilliance."

When you reach a large chamber, you will find may dead priests scattered around.
:Priest Bavian: "Oh no … even the catacombs are corrupted."

She is horrified.
:"The corruption has spread down here. How could Meridia allow such a horror to take hold in her holy temple?"

You will need to continue to search. Bavian has a dire prediction:
"I fear the temple is lost. Our only hope lies in finding High Priest Varkour and Meridia's relic."

When you arrive in the lower catacombs, you will find the relic. You will also find harrowfiends, including High Priest Varkour milling around on the dais in front of it.
:Priest Bavian: "The high priest, by the light! Quickly, retrieve the relic!"
:Priest Bavian: "Retrieve the relic and we can escape through the old airshaft!"

If you speak with her, Bavian faith in Meridia is by now severely shaken.
:"How could Meridia allow High Priest Varkour to become so … corrupted? Has she lost all power? Or worse, is she as heartless as the other Daedric Princes? Regardless, you must retrieve the relic!"

After you have retrieved the relic, she will point out the exit:
:Priest Bavian: "This way, my friend! Let's meet back in the cave!"

When you return to the cave with the relic, Bavian can be found standing near the fire where she will muse.
:"How fragile my faith when I can depend more on help from a stranger than from my god."
:At least there are some survivors. What will you do now?
:"Such terrible things we witnessed today. An unnatural storm … vampires … innocent people turning into monsters … I fear this corruption cannot simply be prayed away. It seems that Meridia has abandoned us to our fate. Why, I cannot say."
:Here are the Meridian Medallions I retrieved.
:"Thank you. These belonged to Roligmolf and Acolyte Larilvor. I wish we could have saved them, but at least we can use these to remember them. I doubt we can recover their remains before the temple is sealed."
:How are you going to seal the temple?
:"With Meridia's Brilliance. I'm not sure my faith is strong enough to use it after all this, but I suppose I have to try. I owe that much to High Priest Varkour's memory. Do you have the relic?"
:Here's Meridia's relic.
:"I'll work with our remaining priests. Try to use the relic to purge the corruption and seal the temple. If that doesn't work … well, let's hope that it does. Thank you, my friend. You stood with us while Meridia turned away. We won't forget that."

After completing the quest, you can speak with her some more.
:"The injured still need to be treated and the temple's corruption needs to be dealt with. Despite the way I feel about Meridia now, I still have a responsibility. I won't walk away from it. Not like Meridia walked away from us."
:It sounds like you've lost your faith.
:"I lost a lot of things today. We all did. But that doesn't mean I won't keep trying to help the faithful. There are injured to tend to, and those poor souls who lost their minds to the storm. I want to find a way to help them all."
:Do you know how to use the relic?
:"High Priest Varkour claimed it contained Meridia's divine light. There are rituals for releasing such power. Whether I or one of the other priests can make use of it, we'll see. I just hope we don't experience any more of those storms."
 We're here to burn away the forces of darkness, not befriend them."''
-->

The Gathering Storm
While she isn't part of the quest, Priest Bavian will have her own commentary if she is accompanying you and Fennorian during your investigation while looking for survivors at the same time. 
Generally, she will reply to Fennorian's own comments:

When you examine the first Witch Spike you find, you find some alchemical residue:
:Fennorian: "An alchemical residue. That should prove useful."
:Priest Bavian "And the substance stinks something awful!"

Finding the second Witch Spike, it no longer appears to have power:
:Fennorian: ''"It's depleted. Just ordinary sticks and rope now. Interesting."
:Priest Bavian "How could such a simple thing cause so much destruction?"

When you find the third Spike:
:Fennorian: "Can you feel the lingering energy? That's Daedric, if I'm not mistaken."
:Priest Bavian: "Daedric? Do not think to blame Meridia for this, vampire."

After you find the cart of pilgrims which left just before the storm, you will find Pilgrim Melda and Fargord stumbling around, incognizant of their surroundings:
:Fennorian: "Strange. They're alive, but unresponsive. Check the crates and see if they contain the smuggled items."
:Priest Bavian: "You seem to know a lot about a great many things, vampire."

Afterwards you will need to check the temple itself which is where the storm was strongest. When you check one of the bodies, Bavian will be shocked over how this could have happened:
:Fennorian: "These are temple priests and pilgrims. It seems the storm killed them."
:Priest Bavian: "These were good people. Devout followers. How could Meridia let this happen?"

Daughter of the Wolf
She will also appear for the ceremony during Daughter of the Wolf if you completed her quest beforehand:
:"After everything I've seen, I can no longer place my faith in Meridia. But I refuse to abandon my friends."
:What will happen to Kilkreath Temple?
:"We will attempt to seal the temple and purge the corruption. If it were up to me, I would leave it in ruins."''