ORZAMMAR
Walkthrough
Entering Orzammar
Entering the Frostback Mountains, the Warden will run near a stone bridge, where there will be a group of bounty hunters waiting to collect on the Warden's head.
Note: The Bounty Hunter here has the rare drop Knight-Commander's Helm.
Past this, farther to the north, is the entrance to Orzammar. Upon approaching it, the Warden will see an Orzammar guard refusing entry to Loghain's messenger, Imrek (Frostback Mountain Map, L5).
Imrek
The Warden will have to either intimidate the emissary away (requires Improved Coercion) or fight him along with his two bodyguards.
Either choice results in entry to Orzammar via the Orzammar Hall of Heroes. (The Hall of Heroes contains Codex entries on the statues, as well as a Council edict (Frostback Mountain Map, L6, Red Dot) that is part of The Key to the City quest.)
Prince Bhelen Aeducan
Taking the other exit in the Hall of Heroes will lead the Warden into the Orzammar Commons (Orzammar Commons Map, L1). The Warden will see Prince Bhelen Aeducan and a group of those who support him arguing angrily with Lord Pyral Harrowmont and his group of supporters. This ends in one of the Bhelen's men killing one of Harrowmont's. It is eventually revealed that the groups were representatives of the two candidates being considered as the next dwarven king. The Warden can speak to Orzammar Captain of the Guard and Nerav Helmi for information (Frostback Mountain Map, L1).
Before you head onto the next section there is side quests within Orzammar Commons if you would like to complete them before continuing on with the main quest line.
Orzammar Diamond Quarter
Seek Out Steward Bandelor
It is the first sub-quest of A Paragon of Her Kind quest line, obtained after entering Orzammar through the Frostback Mountain Pass.
The Assembly lies in the Diamond Quarter (Orzammar Diamond Quarter Map, L3). You must go there to find Steward Bandelor.
Entering the Assembly Chamber yields a short cut-scene with Assembly members in a heated debate. Steward Bandelor then calls a recess.
Vartag Gavorn
Steward Bandelor
Results
This quest is marked as completed once the cut-scene is over.
You get the follow-up sub-quest to speak to Vartag Gavorn and Dulin Forender if you haven't obtained those already.
Rica Brosca
Dulin Forender
The next step for the Warden should be to seek out Steward Bandelor, who is located in the Chamber of the Assembly, which is upstairs in the Orzammar Diamond Quarter (Orzammar Diamond Quarter Map, L CA). Before you reach the chamber, you can also notice two criers who are each supporting a candidate for the throne. Emotions are running high in the Assembly, and the Warden will witness the Steward calling for a recess and closing the Assembly Chamber.
If the Warden is from the Dwarf Commoner Origin, Rica Brosca.
Will be waiting upon entry into Diamond Quarter to take you to Vartag Gavorn.
Now there are a few side quests in this area if you would like to do them before returning to the main storyline.
Choosing Sides: Harrowmont or Bhelen
Bandelor will direct the Warden to Lord Harrowmont and Prince Aeducan for a response on the treaties.
Both candidates will send the Warden on long quests, so one is not better than the other. There are several opportunities to switch sides. Regardless of which quests the Warden takes, the final decision (after completing the Anvil of the Void) determines who is crowned.
How successful you are in gaining support for your chosen candidate will affect what item they gift you as a reward (as well as, if Harrowmont is made king, the number of enemies faced in the final battle of "A Paragon of Her Kind"). Details on how to gain support will be given on the appropriate sub quest pages.
Comparing Candidates
There are plenty of Orzammar denizens who will explain their opinions on the candidates. Walking around and talking to people will give you a general idea of what they are like. However, for the short version:
Bhelen
Bhelen is the radical, progressive candidate. He:
believes the ends justify the means
wants to encourage trade
allows casteless dwarves to fight
Note: Siding with Bhelen initially gives earlier access to the Aeducan Thaig and does not require fighting in the Proving. See: A Prince's Favor: The First Task for more information.
Harrowmont
Harrowmont is the traditionalist candidate. He:
believes in honorable conduct
is a strong proponent of tradition
leans more toward isolationism
Note: Siding with Harrowmont initially gives slightly more experience and gold due to the Proving quests. However, you can also do the provings later if you support Bhelen, so in the end, Bhelen will yield more total experience.
As a side note, a Dwarf Noble Warden can restore their dwarven honor by siding with Bhelen; He will restore the Warden's status as a member of House Aeducan.
Before a King is chosen
Before a king is sitting on the throne, you can perform the Caged in Stone mini-quest (see Codex: Quest-Related and look for the section on "Caged in Stone"). This can be done anytime you have access to the throne room of the Royal Palace and the throne appears as something you can interact with (you cannot complete this mini-quest once you are trapped in the Anvil of the Void (location)).
The First Task
Neither candidate is initially willing to speak to the Warden in person. Instead, the Warden must deal with their lieutenants, each of whom will ask the Warden to complete a task in order to gain an audience with their corresponding candidate. Both lieutenants can be found in the Orzammar Diamond Quarter.
Vartag Gavorn, Bhelen's lieutenant, is first located in the Chamber of the Assembly (Orzammar Other Locations Map, L8).
Dulin Forender, Harrowmont's lieutenant, may approach the Warden upon leaving the Chamber. Otherwise, he can be found in Harrowmont's Estate.
Zevran will have some interesting dialogue with Dulin if you bring him along when speaking to him.
Note: Completing "The First Task" for a candidate and then betraying him while still handing in "The Second Task" makes it possible to obtain "A Paragon of Her Kind" twice; one for each candidate.