Online:The Harvest Heart

Quick Walkthrough
  
# Kill vampires.
# Mark the vampire lairs with their blood.
# Find the Harvest Heart.
# Talk to Virgar the Red and Vanus Galerion
# Make choice.
 
# Defend the ritual sites.
# 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.|thumb|right
:"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   and then head to the vampire lairs which are spread across the lower level of the Orchard. thumb|left|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."
: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."
:  (Side with Virgar)
: 

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."
:  (Side with Vanus)
: 

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.
: 
:"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 few waves of bloodfiends and vampires. At the last wave, a Nedic Blood-Matron will appear and 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."

thumb|right|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, Virgar will triumphantly cry out.
:Virgar The Red: "My children are free!"  

You can then speak with her.
:"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."

Virgar will then give you some gold and a pair of boots.
 

Siding with Vanus Galerion 
If you decide to side with Vanus you can tell him so.
: 
:"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."''
: 

Notes
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.
 
Quest Stages