Hunting for dark hearts

[LadyCricket]

Among other, more doable things, I got a cook's credo quest (5th tier) to study a dark heart. I've never even gotten one of these things, though apparently you can get them rarely by butchering creatures, much like a grotesque tumor. Information on any of the following questions is welcome:

* Can all creatures yield dark hearts, or only larger ones? Could I get one from a rabbit or squirrel?
* Do you get a chance at a dark heart from cleaning, or butchering, or both?
* Does anyone know approximately what the actual chance is of getting one? 1/1000? 1/1000,000?
* Currently I'm hunting a lot of lower-tier animals in the field, cleaning then butchering them, and throwing out the meat. Is there a better way of farming them? Is it plausible that I can find one if I just keep it up, or would it be better to just abandon this quest? (I'm in 5th tier, so any quests I get now are going to be fairly difficult)
* Does anyone have one that they can spare? I'm willing to trade, but I don't have a huge amount of capital for a curio this rare, so it's admittedly kind of a long shot. I could probably do a large quantity of low-q tar, at least.

[MagicManICT]

* Can all creatures yield dark hearts, or only larger ones? Could I get one from a rabbit or squirrel?

No rabbits or squirrels and such that I'm aware. it needs to be animals that yield intestines if I recall right, though I'm not 100% sure on that with the addition of some of the animals the last couple of years. It used to be primarily boars and bears because that what was hunted the most.

Does anyone know approximately what the actual chance is of getting one? 1/1000? 1/1000,000?

No, but I'd put it at around 1/1000 or a bit less. They're certainly more common than golden eggs (1:5000 to 1:10000), but not as common as pearls (about 1:100 to 1:200).

Does anyone have one that they can spare? I'm willing to trade

Trading might be the best way to obtain one, though i'm not sure of a market value on them.

Honestly, I'd just skip a quest like this if you aren't sitting on the item "for just such an occurrence." You could get two or three quests done in the time it takes to study the heart, let alone find one.

[Headchef]

I believe they come only from wild animals.

My plot alone has gotten three of them since February.

We didn't hunt loads but probably neither do you.

Abandon it for your sanity.



Allow me to introduce you to some Jorb advice:

[TheUltimateC]

I got this one i think from agolden eagle. I could trade it, but as you can see, it's a really good curio that i saved up.

[Headchef]

I got this one i think from agolden eagle. I could trade it, but as you can see, it's a really good curio that i saved up.

First time I hear it coming from animal which carcass can go in inventory, you sure?

[KitsuneG]

I got this one i think from agolden eagle. I could trade it, but as you can see, it's a really good curio that i saved up.

First time I hear it coming from animal which carcass can go in inventory, you sure?

can confirm - got few from eagles - but only golden eagles.