Branka

Branka is the newest Paragon of the dwarves, having created a smokeless fuel which greatly increased production. However, two years before the beginning of Dragon Age: Origins, Branka took her entire House (save her then-husband Oghren) into the Deep Roads in the hopes of finding the Anvil of the Void. She has not been heard from since, and is presumed dead by most of the citizens of Orzammar.

Background
You will first learn of Branka by either running into Oghren in Orzammar or by talking to the guard in the Diamond Quarter.

Involvement
You will not actually encounter Branka until you enter the Anvil of the Void, though her lover Hespith is encounterd well before this in the Dead Trenches, guiding you to the chamber of the Broodmother. Listening to the poem as you draw closer to Hespith's location reveals disturbing insights into the ordeal the dwarves suffered at Darkspawn hands during their time in the Deep Roads, as well as offering clues to Branka's behaviour since beginning her quest for the Anvil. Her obsession with the Anvil of the Void has consumed her utterly; there is literally nothing in her life but acquiring it. Once the Warden encounters her, she locks you in with her, informing you that the only way out is to run Caridin's gauntlet of traps. While battling the Darkspawn, she will offer chilling glimpses into her mind; among them, she reveals that she willingly sacrificed all her followers in testing Caridin's defenses. She also ignored those begging to be spared the Darkspawn taint, even allowing Hespith and the other women to be corrupted into Broodmothers, reasoning that doing so would provide her an endless stream of Darkspawn to throw at the traps to either solve the puzzles or overwhelm the defenses with sheer numbers.

See the A Paragon of Her Kind Quest.

Strategy
One of the toughest fights in the whole game, as long as you don't know what the AI targeting priorities are exactly. The key to winning this fight on Nightmare is quite simple: immediately attack Branka with your current party tank (presumably, Oghren), move the rest into one of the corners. The lieutenant rank Branka golems will be busy dipatching the normal Caridin's golems for about half a minute, so use this time wisely to get rid of the normal Branka golems that will always target the party first. After the lieutenants are finished with Caridin's allies, they will attack your tank. This moment is a bit tricky: three powerful enemies at once deal a lot of damage, so resort to constant healing with spells/poultices. As soon as you are done with a pair of normal golems assailing your party, concentrate your ranged fire first on one of the lieutenant golems, then on the second one, and, finally, on Branka. When reduced to a certain health percentage, she will use Lyrium to create 3 clones of herself. She will also probably switch aggro from your tank to your main party. Get rid of the clones, ignore the real Branka for now. The only one attacking her should be your tank/Oghren with Threaten active. She will target him again, eventually. After the clones are defeated (that is actually very easy to achieve: they do deal some minor damage, but aren't durable at all), focus on Branka. When reduced to 10%, she will use Lyrium again: this time, she will cast Rock Barrage on the party, sometimes to an utterly devastating effect. Provided you survive the Rock Barrage, finish Branka. It's not an easy fight, but with a modicum of tactical thinking you should do just fine. Please note Oghren does not have Taunt, so threat management should be top priority during the battle: stay as far from Branka as you you can afford with your ranged attackers, and have Threaten toggled on with Oghren. Oghren should use as many talents as he is able to, as they generate additional threat. It goes without saying you should have Berserk and Indomitable as your other active suistainables, not that crappy Powerful Swings.