The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim's Dawnguard DLC sends the Dragonborn into a whirlwind adventure like never before, involving a secretive vampire society in the far reaches of Skyrim and a race of Mer thought long extinct. The Dawnguard questline starts with the Dragonborn overhearing the Dawnguard's -a group of expert vampire hunters- return and that they're looking for recruits.
With increasing vampire attacks and an ancient prophecy at stake, it seems like a monumental job right up the Dragonborn's alley. Whether you choose to be a vampire hunter or a vampire yourself, you're in for one of the most exciting quests ever in the archaic scenic lands of Skyrim.
8 Touching The Sky
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Arguably one of, if not, the best quest in the Dawnguard questline, "Touching The Sky" brings the Dragonborn and his/her new vampire follower, Serana, to retrieve Auriel's Bow. After traversing the treacherous Darkfall Cave, you will come across Auriel's Shrine, where you will also meet Knight-Paladin Gelebor, one of the two last living Snow Elves.
To help Gelebor kill his brother, Vyrthur, and get the bow, you must find all five wayshrines spanning throughout the Forgotten Vale. This hidden valley is both beautiful and deadly since it's rife with hostile Falmer, but eventually, you battle Vyrthur, who has been infected with vampirism. Once Vyrthur is killed, Gelebor gifts you Auriel's Bow. This powerful bow can blot out the sun or return its radiance if you use Bloodcursed or Sunhallowed Elven arrows respectively.
7 Beyond Death
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In "Beyond Death", the Dragonborn and Serana enter the cavern of lost souls called the Soul Cairn to find Serana's mother, Valerica. As you journey past this realm of doom and gloom, you're catching a glimpse of what happens when your soul is trapped in a soul gem.
You find Valerica, who says that the Ideal Masters had imprisoned her behind a barrier after failing to kill her. After killing the Boneyard Keepers to set Valerica free, the Dragonborn defeats the dragon Durnevhiir, Valerica's warden. Valerica gives the Dragonborn the Elder Scroll, but before he/she could leave the Soul Cairn, a resurrected Durnevhiir stops to ask a teensy favor from the Dragonborn.
If you accept, all you have to do is Shout his name so that he can experience the skies of Tamriel once more. A bittersweet end to a marvelous quest.
6 Kindred Judgment
Dawnguard's final main quest sees Lord Harkon battle the Dragonborn and his daughter, Serana. The tail end of Harkon's reign has seen him grow ever more tyrannical, power-hungry and paranoid -to the dismay of his family and subjects. Now, it is time to put an end to Harkon's centuries-long reign of terror.
Although you have the option to give Harkon the bow or keep it for yourself, it will still end in a battle either way. With Harkon in his Vampire Lord form, it's quite difficult to pin him down since he keeps fluttering away. Ultimately, Serana and the Dragonborn prevailed, saving the whole of Skyrim from the Tyranny of the Sun.
5 Unseen Visions
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After obtaining the Elder Scroll from Valerica, all that's left to do is to bring the Scrolls to the Moth Priest Dexion to find the location of Auriel's Bow. Since Dexion is blind, the Dragonborn and Serana must bring them to the Ancestor Glade to be able to read them.
There, you must take the Draw Knife and extract a bark from one of the Canticle Trees, before walking around so that Ancestor Moths can swarm you. Reading an Elder Scroll is a magical experience, indeed. As you unfurl the Scrolls multiple times, a map will gradually take shape, showing that Darkfall Cave is your next destination.
4 Chasing Echoes
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In the quest before "Beyond Death", "Chasing Echoes" deals with Serana and the Dragonborn playing detective to retrace Valerica's last steps before her disappearance. Serana insists that hiding in plain sight was her mother's M.O.
To find Valerica, the Dragonborn and Serana venture into the remotest parts of Castle Volkihar to reach Valerica's Study. Fighting past death hounds and spiders, Valerica's notes show that a ritual must be performed to enter the Soul Cairn. If the Dragonborn is a vampire, then all is well. But if you chose the Dawnguard path, then you can either let Serana turn you or allow Serana to perform a Soul Trap spell on you.
3 Awakening
As the second quest and first major step into the Dawnguard story, the Dragonborn is sent to Dimhollow Crypt by Isran of the Dawnguard to discover why a group of vampires are poking their noses around the place.
After battling through a vampire and his cronies, you will come upon Dimhollow Cavern, where a circular platform with arches and a few braziers lie. The braziers must be pushed into their correct places to solve the puzzle. Once that's done, a sarcophagus appears to reveal a woman with an Elder Scroll. This is where you first meet one of the best vampire characters ever made: Serana.
2 Bloodline
After awakening Serana, the two of you will leave and make for Castle Volkihar. There, you will meet the main antagonist of the DLC and father to Serana, Lord Harkon. The ancient vampire is pleased with Serana and the Elder Scroll's return and decides to grant the Dragonborn a boon.
This is a pivotal choice in the storyline: to become a vampire or to stay a vampire hunter. If you choose the former, Harkon will turn you into a powerful vampire, but you are alienated from the Dawnguard. If you choose the latter, you will stay with the Dawnguard but will no longer be welcome in Castle Volkihar.
1 Prophet (Vampire Or Dawnguard)
Regardless if you're part of the Volkihar Clan or a Dawnguard member, the main goal of the "Prophet" quest is to find a Moth Priest to read the Elder Scrolls. It turns out that Harkon had lured the Priest to Skyrim on the pretense of a false rumor, and it's up to the Dragonborn to figure out if the rumor is true and bring him back to the castle.
By asking around, you'll discover that a Moth Priest is currently heading to Dragon Bridge, only to find out later on that the Moth Priest had been kidnapped by vampires and held at Forebears' Holdout. Rescuing Dexion will finally allow Harkon and Isran to understand what the prophecy is about, with the former endeavoring to make it happen and the latter trying to prevent it.