Online:The Harvest Heart

Eliminate or ally with the enslaved vampires of the Orchard. Zone: Coldharbour This quest is part of the Zone Story Objective: The Orchard — Resolve the threat of the vampires in the Orchard. Quest Giver: Vanus Galerion Location(s): The Orchard Prerequisite Quest: Crossing the Chasm Next Quest: The Citadel Must Fall Reward: Blood-Red Brogans High Leveled Gold XP Gain: High

Destroy the Harvest Heart to remove Molag Bal's control over the Orchard vampires

Vampires occupy the Orchard beyond the Chasm, somehow empowered by Molag Bal's Harvest Heart. The vampires need to be dealt with before our forces can push forward toward the planar vortex.

Quick Walkthrough

1. Kill vampires.
2. Mark the vampire lairs with their blood.
3. Find the Harvest Heart.
4. Talk to Virgar the Red and Vanus Galerion
5. Make a choice.
6. Defend the ritual sites.
7. Destroy the binding totems.

Detailed Walkthrough

After your success at taking the Chasm, Vanus Galerion at the Orchard Wayshrine will have another task for you.

"As soon as you're ready, we have another mission that could use your unique approach."

What's the problem this time?

Exsanguinate some vampires.

"Vampires. The region beyond is crawling with them! Worse, anyone we send in there is turned into one of the foul monsters.
And do you see the structure that looms on the horizon? I believe that's one of Molag Bal's infamous Harvest Hearts."

What do I need to do?

"Eager and confident. I like that!
I need you to collect blood from the vampires. It's an integral component in the pacification ritual I will perform. Use the blood to mark their lairs. I'll meet you near the Heart when you're finished."

You can count on me.

"What are you still doing here? The vampires won't bleed themselves, you know."

Why do I need to collect vampire blood?

"I have my preparations to deal with, and you have yours.
The first step is to make sure the ritual targets the correct creatures. Marking the vampires' lairs with their own blood will guarantee this."

Once you have your orders, you have an opportunity to ask him some more questions before heading into the Orchard. The Orchard has the appearance of a Breton graveyard and there will be Bloodfiends and Vampires (Knights, Berserkers,Illusionists) crawling everywhere. Kill a few vampires and collect at least four samples Vampire Blood and then head to the vampire lairs which are spread across the lower level of the Orchard.

Marking the lairs.

There are four lairs which are guarded by a Harvester and are also recognizable by the mass of dark blue-green smoke in front of each entrance. Interact with this smoke to mark the lair with blood. At each lair, a strange vampire will confront about your task before disappearing.

Virgar The Red: "Such a cruel and distasteful chore the Elf has tasked you with."

Virgar The Red: "Do not do this, I implore you! My children are not evil!"

Virgar The Red: "You don't know what you're doing! Molag Bal is the enemy here, not my children."

Virgar The Red: "Why are you subjecting my people to this danger?"

Once you have marked the four lairs, head to the upper tier to the Harvest Heart to meet with Vanus for the next part of the ritual. When you get there, you find the strange vampire from before trying to talk to the Great Mage.

Vanus Galerion: "Back, foul temptress! I'll hear no more of your lies!"

Virgar The Red: "Such a stubborn Elf! Perhaps your companion will be more willing to listen to reason."

Talk with her to see what she wants and who she is. The vampire will introduce herself as Virgar the Red and she will offer an alternative ritual to the one that Vanus wants to do. Asking her about it will advance the quest.

"I hope that you will prove more reasonable than your companion. My offer makes perfect sense, considering the alternatives."

Who are you?

"Some call me the Crimson Matron, others the Concubine of Coldharbour. I am an elder vampire, brought to this new life by Molag Bal.
These are my children, but they have been enthralled by the Lord of Brutality."

So you're telling me you're the victim in all this?

"My children protect this Orchard because Molag Bal commands it. They aren't evil. They're slaves of the Harvest Heart!
Instead of destroying them, help me set them free. Imagine, an army of vampires that owes you a favor!"

What are you suggesting?

"The ritual the Elf plans to perform will drive my children mad. But there is a better solution, if you're willing to listen to reason.
Molag Bal is the real enemy here. Let me help you free my children from the Dark Lord's thrall. Then we both win."

Tell me more about what you're proposing.

'"I can perform my own ritual. It will destroy the Harvest Heart and set my children free.
Help me accomplish this and my children will be in your debt. They will provide you with safe passage through the Orchard and aid you against Molag Bal."

I'll help you free the vampires from the Harvest Heart. (Side with Virgar)

I need to talk to Vanus Galerion before I make a decision.

Virgar's ritual will destroy the Harvest Heart and free her children from Molag Bal's control, in return she will allow the invasion forces free passage through the Orchard and provide help later on. Talk with Vanus for his opinion—he will strenuously disagree.

"You can't seriously be considering her proposal, can you? She's a confounded vampire, for Magnus's sake!"

You don't think we can trust her?

"She's an elder vampire! Setting those monsters free will be like ringing the dinner bell in a Nord feast hall before the meal is ready!
Her so-called children see us as food and nothing more. The only logical solution is to perform my ritual."

I'll help you turn the vampires into mindless beasts. (Side with Vanus)

I need to talk to Virgar the Red before I make a decision.

You now have the choice to side with Virgar and free the vampires or continue with Vanus' plan to eliminate them.

Siding with Virgar the Red

If you decide to side with Virgar you can tell her so.

I'll help you free the vampires from the Harvest Heart.

"A most wise and honorable decision. I'll follow you to the ritual sites.
Protect me while I perform the ritual, and we will break Molag Bal's hold on my children!"

Follow me!

She will then become your follower, and you will need to lead her to the two ritual sites to the east and west of the Harvest Heart. When you reach a site, she will run off and begin to channel her magic.

Virgar The Red: "Defend me while I perform this portion of the ritual."

You will be forced to fight off a wave of bloodfiends and vampires, then a Harvester when they're defeated. At the last wave, a Nedic Blood-Matron will appear: once she is dead, that area's ritual will be completed.

Virgar The Red: "Thank you for assisting me. This portion of the ritual is complete."

Once both rituals are completed, you will need to return to the Harvest Heart, when you arrive, Vanus will surprisingly be there to assist and Virgar will want to talk to you.

Virgar The Red: "Come talk to me. I must explain your role in the next stage of the ritual."

"The time has come to perform the ritual and destroy the Harvest Heart. My children yearn to be free!"

Tell me how I can help.

"The black blood flowing from the Harvest Heart binds my children to Molag Bal. But it also gives us a connection we can take advantage of.
While I provide the power to destroy the Harvest Heart, you must sever the connection to Molag Bal."

And how do I do that?

"Find the Lord of Schemes's binding totems and destroy them. They are spaced evenly around the Harvest Heart.
As each totem breaks, my children will be separated from Molag Bal and the energy protecting the Harvest Heart will falter."

Destroy the binding totems

While Virgar and Vanus perform the ritual, you will need to find the binding totems. There are five of them and they will be arranged around the Harvest Heart, two on east and western sides and the final one in the a small alcove at the front. Some of them will be guarded by vampires which you can easily eliminate. Once all five of the totems are destroyed, you can return to Virgar to see the end of the ritual. Once the Heart is destroyed, either Vanus or Virgar will triumphantly cry out.

Virgar The Red: "My children are free!" <or> Vanus Galerion: "The Harvest Heart is destroyed!"

You can then speak with Virgar to finish the quest:

"The Harvest Heart has been destroyed. My children are no longer slaves to Molag Bal!"

Your children will honor our agreement, correct?

"Most certainly. Thanks to your efforts, my children are free. They won't give you any more trouble.
And, as promised, my children will aid you when you need it most."

Siding with Vanus Galerion

If you decide to side with Vanus you can tell him so.

I'll help you turn the vampires into mindless beasts.

"Of course you will. No other decision makes any sense.
I'll follow you into the ritual sites. Protect me while I cast my spells and we'll have the army on the move again in no time."

Stay close and follow me!

He will then become your follower, and, similarly to the other route, you will need to lead him to the two ritual sites to the east and west of the Harvest Heart. When you reach a site, he will run off and begin to channel his magic.

Vanus Galerion: "I'll start the ritual. Get ready to defend me."

You will be forced to fight off a wave of bloodfiends and vampires, then a Harvester when they're defeated. At the last wave, a Nedic Blood-Matron will appear: once she is dead, that area's ritual will be completed.

Vanus Galerion: "Good job! You held them back long enough for me to complete this portion of the ritual."

At the end of the second ritual, Virgar will appear from the tomb, hostile and determined:

Virgar the Red : "No! I won't let you harm my children!"

You will be forced to kill her in order to complete the ritual.

After the two ritual sites, you will need to return to the Harvest Heart, where Vanus will need you for the next part of the ritual.

Vanus Galerion: "Come. I need to explain the next steps to you. At this, we can't afford for anything to go wrong."

"Nice work out there. Now that we've prepared all of the spell components, I can finish performing the ritual.
The threat these vampires pose will soon be over."

What do you need me to do?

"The black blood flowing from the Harvest Heart binds the vampires to Molag Bal. But it also gives us a connection we can take advantage of.
While I provide the power to destroy the minds of the vampires, you must sever the connection to Molag Bal."

And how do I do that?

"Find the Lord of Schemes' binding totems and destroy them. They're spaced evenly around the Harvest Heart.
As each totem breaks, the vampires will be separated from Molag Bal and the energy of my spell will flow into them, wiping their minds clean."

While Vanus performs the ritual, you will need to find the binding totems. There are five of them and they will be arranged around the Harvest Heart, two on east and western sides and the final one in the a small alcove at the front. Some of them will be guarded by vampires which you can easily eliminate. Once all five of the totems are destroyed, you can return to Vanus to see the end of the ritual. Once the Heart is destroyed, Vanus will triumphantly cry out.

Vanus Galerion: "The Harvest Heart is destroyed!"

You can then speak to him to finish the quest:

"You did an excellent job! Thanks to you, I was able to complete the ritual and end the vampiric threat once and for all."

So now our forces can move freely through the Orchard?

"Yes. Thanks to your efforts and my remarkable magical talents, we've turned these vampires into mindless beasts. They won't give us any more trouble.
This brings us one step closer to the planar vortex and ending the Planemeld."

Notes

• Vampire blood continues to drop from slain vampires even after acquiring the amount required to complete the objective.
• If you choose to support Virgar the Red, Lafara may assist you on The Endless Stair.
  • If you choose to support Vanus Galerion, Virgar the Red will be killed at one of the ritual sites.
• All enemies in the cemetery become neutral after completing the quest, regardless of whose side was picked.

Bugs

• The binding totems continue to appear visible after they are meant to be destroyed during the related objective. ^?

Quest Stages

The Harvest Heart
Finishes Quest	Journal Entry
	Vanus Galerion wants me to collect vampire blood and use it to mark their lairs. I need to place the blood on the doors to the vampire lairs. This will provide targets for the ritual that he's preparing to perform. Hidden Objective: Collect Vampire Blood: x/4 Objective: Mark Vampire Lairs: x/4
	Vanus Galerion wanted me to meet him near the Harvest Heart after I placed the blood on the vampire lairs. I should head in that direction. Objective: Locate the Harvest Heart
	Virgar the Red apparently has something to say, but Vanus doesn't appear to trust her. I should talk to her and see what she wants from us. Objective: Talk to Virgar the Red
	Vanus Galerion and Virgar the Red have different opinions on how to end the vampire threat. Vanus wants to turn the vampires into mindless, docile creatures. Virgar wants to set them free. I need to decide which ritual to proceed with. Complete one: Support Vanus Galerion or Support Virgar the Red
	(Support Virgar the Red) I decided to support Virgar's solution. I should lead her to the ritual sites and defend her while she casts her spells. Objective: Defend West Ritual Site Objective: Defend East Ritual Site
	Virgar the Red cast her spells at the ritual sites around the Orchard. Now we should return to the Harvest Heart so she can complete the ritual. Objective: Return to the Harvest Heart
	Virgar the Red needs my help to complete her ritual. I must destroy the binding totems that Molag Bal uses to control the vampires. They're positioned around the Harvest Heart. Each one destroyed brings Virgar's ritual closer to completion. Objective: Help Virgar and Vanus Complete the Ritual Hidden Objective: Destroy Light Binding Totems: x/5 Objective: Return to Ritual Objective: Watch Ritual
Finishes quest	The ritual is complete and the Harvest Heart has been destroyed. I should talk to Virgar the Red. Objective: Talk to Virgar the Red
	(Support Vanus Galerion) I decided to support Vanus' solution. I should lead him to the ritual sites and defend him while he casts his spells. Objective: Defend West Ritual Site Objective: Defend East Ritual Site
	Vanus cast his spells at the ritual sites around the Orchard. Now we should return to the Harvest Heart so he can complete the ritual. Objective: Return to the Harvest Heart
	We returned to the Harvest Heart. Vanus Galerion wants to speak to me before we begin the final phase of the ritual. Objective: Talk to Vanus Galerion
	Vanus Galerion needs my help to complete the ritual. I must destroy the binding totems that Molag Bal uses to control the vampires. They're positioned around the Harvest Heart. Each one destroyed brings Virgar's ritual closer to completion. Objective: Help Vanus Complete the Ritual Hidden Objective: Destroy Light Binding Totems: x/5 Objective: Return to Ritual Objective: Watch Ritual
Finishes quest	The ritual is complete and the Harvest Heart has been destroyed. I should talk to Vanus Galerion. Objective: Talk to Vanus Galerion