Orzammar, the Deep Roads & the Anvil
Resolve the succession dispute, find Branka and decide the Anvil’s fate.
Orzammar is the longest political/treaty branch. It combines city investigation, a succession dispute, the Carta, multiple Deep Roads maps and the Anvil decision. Keep plenty of injury kits and inventory space before the Deep Roads portion.
Route at a glance
Enter Orzammar and choose how to approach the succession
After gaining entry, learn that Prince Bhelen and Lord Harrowmont are competing for the throne. You can work for either side initially. The early tasks differ, but both routes eventually point toward Paragon Branka in the Deep Roads.
Complete the candidate’s proving/political tasks
Follow your chosen candidate’s assignments in the Commons, Diamond Quarter and Proving. Do side quests while the city is open; several Orzammar quests intersect with caste politics and the Carta.
Find Jarvia and clear the Carta hideout
Investigate Dust Town, obtain access to the Carta base and fight through Jarvia’s hideout. Use doorways as chokepoints against large groups and loot the area before leaving.
Prepare for the Deep Roads
Before departing, sell excess loot, buy injury kits/lyrium/health poultices and finalize your party. The Deep Roads sequence is long and repeatedly fills inventory.
Aeducan Thaig
Follow the main path through darkspawn and search side areas for containers and quest objects. Use the world map exits as your progression checkpoints.
Caridin’s Cross
This map branches. Clear methodically and use markers/quest arrows to identify the route toward Ortan Thaig. Expect emissaries and larger darkspawn groups.
Ortan Thaig
Fight through spiders and corrupted thaig chambers until you reach Ruck/Branka-related clues and the route onward. Loot carefully; several valuable quest and codex items are tucked into side rooms.
The Dead Trenches
The Dead Trenches contain some of the hardest sustained darkspawn fights in the game. Use chokepoints, disable enemy mages/emissaries first, and restock from any available supplies before the broodmother sequence.
Defeat the Broodmother
Spread the party enough to avoid everyone being hit by the same attacks. Kill tentacles/adds when pressure becomes too high, then refocus the Broodmother. Keep healing and cleansing available for sustained damage.
Reach the Anvil of the Void
Continue after the Dead Trenches and follow Branka into the Anvil complex. The traps/golem rooms require careful positioning and interaction with environmental devices rather than pure damage racing.
Choose Branka or Caridin
At the Anvil, hear both positions. Supporting Caridin destroys the Anvil; supporting Branka preserves it. The decision affects the immediate boss fight, epilogue and who provides the crown needed to resolve Orzammar’s succession.
Crown the king
Return to the Assembly with the crown and choose the ruler when prompted. The choice locks the succession outcome and secures the dwarven treaty forces for the final war.
- If you feel trapped in the Deep Roads, check the area transition markers; several maps are linear only after a branching central section.
- At the Anvil, the side you choose determines which major NPC becomes the boss. There is no neutral resolution that keeps both Branka and Caridin satisfied.
- Resolve Orzammar city side quests you care about before finalizing the king, because political outcomes can change NPC availability.