The Heart of Corruption serves as one of the side missions in Bioware’s Dragon Age: The Veilguard. It stands out as one of the more challenging quests available. Much like solving the intricate puzzles needed to access the Warden Vault, this quest requires you to confront some of the strongest foes in the game.
Once you initially unlock The Heart of Corruption, you’ll encounter strange locked gates that may leave you puzzled about how to proceed. Thankfully, we are here to guide you through the challenging tasks involved in this quest in Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
How to Begin The Heart of Corruption
Getting started with The Heart of Corruption quest is a straightforward task in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Simply approach the twisted door featuring three circular locks located in The Crossroads on Beacon Island. Once there, the quest will be added to your Journal.
To unlock the three locks on the door, you’ll need to defeat three bosses scattered across different regions. Defeating these bosses will also allow you to access additional passages in The Crossroads, leading to three more Revenant bosses of increasing difficulty.
Where to Find All Champion Essences
Before you can access the locked door in The Crossroads, you must first unlock three separate gates, each requiring a Champion Essence. These essences can be acquired by vanquishing three powerful ogres found in distinct areas.
Step 1: Defeat Desmal, Bloodbound to Elger’nan, located on the rooftops in Treviso. This ogre is level 25, so prepare yourself adequately for the fight.
Desmal has a weakness to Fire damage but is resistant to Necrotic attacks. It is advisable to bring along a companion like Taash or Davrin, who specialize in Fire skills, and include a healer like Harding or Bellara for support. Avoid bringing Lucanis and Emmrich, as they utilize Necrotic skills.
Upon defeating Desmal, you will receive a Champion Essence allowing you to unlock the Gate of Deep Sorrows in The Crossroads.
Step 2: Take down The Disciple-in-Ichor in the Hossberg Wetlands, specifically within The Old Crossroads, a swamp affected by blight. This ogre is level 30 and presents a greater challenge than Desmal.
Like Desmal, this boss also has a weakness to Fire and is resistant to Necrotic damage. It’s beneficial to stick with a similar team setup as before, utilizing Taash or Davrin for Fire attacks and a supporter such as Harding, Neve, or Bellara for healing and assistance.
Defeating The Disciple-in-Ichor will reward you with a Champion Essence for unlocking the Gate of Parched Hopes in The Crossroads.
Step 3: Confront Amarell the Unwoven, also found in the Hossberg Wetlands, particularly at Solitude’s Edge. This ogre boasts a level of 35 and, like the others, is weak to Fire while being resistant to Necrotic damage.
Prepare for this battle with the same team composition as before, including Taash or Davrin for Fire damage and support from Bellara, Neve, or Harding.
Once Amarell is defeated, you will acquire the final Champion Essence needed to unlock the Gate of Pale Reflections in The Crossroads.
How to Acquire All Revenant Essences
With all three gates now opened, Rook and your party can face off against the last set of formidable opponents. However, be aware that these enemies will be significantly tougher, with the most challenging boss reaching level 50.
Step 1: Face Betrayal of Felassan, who waits in the Converged City at The Crossroads at level 32. This boss is vulnerable to Necrotic damage but resistant to Ice.
For this encounter, consider having Emmrich or Lucanis as your Necrotic damage dealer, supported by Neve, Bellara, or Harding.
Defeating the Betrayal of Felassan will earn you a Revenant Essence to unlock the door with three locks.
Step 2: Slaughter of the Pillars is found in Elvhenan’s Haven at The Crossroads, positioned at level 37. This boss shares the same weaknesses and resistances as the last—vulnerable to Necrotic and resistant to Ice damage.
You can utilize a similar team as before: have Lucanis or Emmrich for Necrotic damage, along with a support ally like Neve, Harding, or Bellara.
After defeating the Slaughter of the Pillars, you will receive the second Revenant Essence for the locked door.
Step 3: The final encounter, Fall of the Protector, is located at the Heights of Athim at The Crossroads, and it stands at a level of 42. This boss is weak to Ice but resists Fire attacks.
For this battle, consider taking Neve as your main Ice damage dealer. Depending on her status in your game (whether you saved Treviso instead of Minrathous), she may or may not be able to heal. If she is unable to provide healing, bring along Harding or Bellara for support. If she can heal, pair her with either Lucanis or Emmrich instead.
After defeating the Fall of the Protector, you will receive the last Revenant Essence needed to open the locked door.
How to Defeat the Revenant Dragon
Beyond the triple-locked door lies one of the most formidable opponents in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, a dragon that’s level 50. Weak to Fire damage but resistant to Cold, it’s best to bring Taash or Davrin for direct hits. As before, ensure you have a supportive ally like Bellara or Harding, but avoid Neve, who specializes in Cold attacks.
When engaging the Revenant Dragon, aim to break down its armor using powerful attacks, targeting the tail or legs for effectiveness. Attacking the head can be perilous due to its aggressive front attacks. Remember, once the dragon is staggered, its heart will become vulnerable—unleash your strongest attacks to maximize damage before it recovers.
Interestingly, if you have completed the Regrets of The Dread Wolf quest and successfully convinced Mythal to bestow her powers upon you, she will appear during this battle as a dragon to assist against the Revenant Dragon. To complete this quest, you must find six of Solas’ statues, finish his sidequests throughout The Crossroads, and navigate specific parts of the main storyline.