I have been trying this quest for a while now and my companion keeps dying as soon as I engage in any kind of combat. He dies from small hits like (150hp-250hp) and there is nothing I can do. I tried to buff him with stoneskin and protect, but still no go.

I am sure this was not the case before 1.19, since most reports came in after 1.19 was released. You can check out several topics at the quest section of the forums that explain the same problem.

Please look into this and hotfix this, since it is really blocking any kind of progress in the storyline right now.