When searching for powerful and unique weapons in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, the player shouldn’t ignore the countless Daedric quests scattered all over the province. From doing the bidding of evil Daedric Princes to getting a quick revenge, each Prince has their own unique stories, personalities and preferences. Such is also the case with Meridia.
Her quest involves finding her beacon, an important quest item that’s required to be returned to her temple nearby Solitude. In return, the Dragonborn will be gifted a unique and gorgeous sword known as the Dawnbreaker, which deals extra damage to undead creatures. However, all that aside, Meridia’s an interesting Daedric Prince due to how different she is and with how little is truly known about her in Skyrim.
10 She’s Part Of The Stars
The existence of the sun and moon in the Elder Scrolls universe isn’t quite the same as in real life. Stories tell that during what’s known as the Dawn Era, which is basically the time when Tamriel was conceived as a world, Magnus and a few other original spirits that created the mortal world eventually fled.
Many of the minor spirits tore small holes into the sky to return to Oblivion, which became known as stars. These spirits themselves are dubbed as Magna Ge, and Meridia was one of them. In short, she could be considered a part of the night sky herself.
9 She Used To Be Aedra
Initially, Meridia wasn’t called by her actual name “Meridia”. Instead, she went by a somewhat similar name that was at the time known as Merid-Nunda. This was during the Dawn Era, when the mortal world was still being created for the first time.
Merid-Nunda wasn’t actually a Daedra, but an Aedra instead. As such, she’s considered an ancestor to mortal races, because she was directly involved with the conception of the human world, despite becoming what she now is.
8 She Shares A Voice With Elenwen And Boethiah
Meridia has a very unique character design and voice, although most Daedric Princes aren’t actual people and are simply personified through art pieces like statues. Meridia might be a Prince but she presents herself as a female character.
Her voice will sound quite familiar to seasoned fans of the game, and that’s because her voice actress Jean Gilpin also voiced two other strong female characters. Jean Gilpin lent her voice to Elenwen, the ambassador of the Thalmor in Skyrim, as well as Boethiah, a much more violent and unpredictable Daedric Prince.
7 She Doesn’t Mind A Vampire Dragonborn
Each Daedric Prince has specific preferences and rules that they tend to abide by. In Meridia’s case, she has a deep dislike for all things related to the dead or undead, and doesn’t like those who practice the art of necromancy. This is the whole basis for her quest in Skyrim as well.
However, it doesn’t seem to matter to her what the nature of the Dragonborn is. Even if you choose to become a vampire in the game, Meridia will still offer her quest and give the Dawnbreaker as a reward. Gameplay-wise, this wasn’t well thought out.
6 The Ring Of Khajiit
If you’ve only played Skyrim, then you might not know that Meridia has made an appearance in previous Elder Scrolls games as well, since Arena in fact. Her latest appearance before Skyrim was in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, where she offers a very similar quest. However, it’s the reward that differs.
The Dawnbreaker is actually a sword that was only introduced in Skyrim, and previously Meridia would reward you with the Ring of Khajiit, a powerful artifact that was once used by a talented and prolific burglar in Elseweyr. In Oblivion, it would allow the player to blend with their surroundings and earn and increased speed.
5 She Helped Ayleids Against Humans
Despite all the good that’s being said of Meridia, she’s not without her faults. Daedric Princes don’t exist to commit kind acts, and she’s no different when it comes to this general rule. In fact, one glance into her past shows that she only listens to those who do her bidding.
During the rebellion of humans against their masters, led by Alessia, Ayleids, which are now High Elves, asked Meridia for help. Umaril the Unfeathered, who was considered the champion of Ayleids, actually became almost unbeatable in a Daedric sense by tying his existence to Meridia’s realm.
4 She Became A Daedra As Punishment
So, how did Meridia actually become the Daedric Prince that she is today? Once a participant in the creation of the mortal world, known as Mundus at the time, she then fled the mortal world and became Magna Ge along with several other spirits.
However, after interacting with various Daedric creatures and forces, she was considered a traitor of sorts and had to be punished. As a result, Meridia was sort of demoted into her position of a Daedric Prince.
3 She Actually Cares About Mortals
It would be a lie to say that Daedric Princes have the best interest of mortals in mind. However, given how some other Princes treat mortals and constantly seek to take advantage of them and deceive them, Meridia is extremely tame and mild in her behavior.
In fact, one could even argue that she still to this very day cares about mortals. After all, Daedra or not, she was once involved with the conception of mankind and the mortal world and likely still hasn’t forgotten about that. Even in Skyrim, she treats the Dragonborn with more fairness and less of a sadistic streak than most other Princes.
2 She Lives In Colored Rooms
For the longest time, Meridia’s realm was mostly known by name. Dubbed as the Colored Rooms, it’s home to what are known as Auroran Daedra, the servants of Meridia herself. It’s a constant reminder of what once happened to the Ayleid. The realm itself was first showcased properly in The Elder Scrolls Online.
The place seems to be an ethereal floating collection of islands and rotating rocks. Mist surrounds the area, and strange plants grow all around.
1 She Accepts Undead Parts As An Offering
Every Daedric Prince has something special they want when summoned by mortals at their respective altars. It’s always an item or ingredient that relates to their dislikes and likes, and in this case, Meridia’s summoning item makes total sense.
Offering flesh or a part from an undead creature’s corpse will always bring Meridia forth, even when it’s not her specific date of summoning,
NEXT: Skyrim: 10 Things That Make No Sense About Alduin
