Skyrim Dawnguard Quests: Complete Guide to All Vampire and Dawnguard Missions (2026)

The Dawnguard DLC transformed Skyrim’s endgame into something genuinely exciting. Whether you’re hunting vampires with crossbows or becoming the very thing you swore to destroy, this expansion delivers some of the most memorable questlines in the game. But the branching paths, overlapping missions, and occasional quest-breaking bugs can leave even veteran Dragonborns scratching their heads.

This guide breaks down every quest in the Dawnguard storyline, both factions, side quests, and radiant missions, with specific directions, rewards, and tips to avoid the most common pitfalls. You’ll know exactly when to commit to a faction, which quests differ between paths, and what you’re missing if you pick one side over the other.

What Is the Dawnguard DLC and Why Should You Play It?

Dawnguard launched in June 2012 as Skyrim’s first major expansion, adding a full faction war between vampire hunters and the undead. The DLC introduced Vampire Lords (a new transformation with its own perk tree), crossbows, dragonbone weapons, and two opposing questlines that converge toward the same epic conclusion.

The main draw? You get to choose between joining the Dawnguard, a reformed vampire-hunting order led by the gruff Isran, or siding with Lord Harkon and his Volkihar vampire clan to blot out the sun itself. Each path offers unique powers, followers, and narrative beats, though the core story missions overlap more than you’d think.

Beyond the main questline, Dawnguard adds the Soul Cairn, Forgotten Vale, and Castle Volkihar as explorable zones, plus standout side quests like Lost to the Ages. If you’ve exhausted the base game and want a meaty expansion that actually feels different, Dawnguard delivers. It’s available on all platforms, PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and even Nintendo Switch via the Special Edition and Anniversary Edition releases.

How to Start the Dawnguard Questline

You’ll trigger the Dawnguard questline automatically once you hit level 10 (or immediately if you start a new game with the DLC installed). Guards in major cities will mention rumors about the Dawnguard reforming, and you’ll receive a miscellaneous objective: “Speak to the Dawnguard.”

Head to Fort Dawnguard, located in the Rift southeast of Riften. The easiest route is to fast-travel to Riften, exit via the southeastern gate, and follow the path into Dayspring Canyon. You’ll encounter a few low-level enemies (wolves, maybe a troll) on the way, but nothing threatening.

Once you arrive, you’ll meet Isran and officially begin the first quest, Awakening. Don’t worry about committing to a faction yet, the choice doesn’t lock in until the second quest, Bloodline. You’ve got time to explore both options and decide which path fits your character build.

Choosing Your Path: Dawnguard vs. Vampire Lord

The big decision hits during the Bloodline quest. After rescuing Serana from Dimhollow Crypt, she’ll take you to Castle Volkihar to meet her father, Lord Harkon. He’ll offer you the gift of vampirism and the Vampire Lord transformation. Accept, and you join the vampires. Refuse, and you return to the Dawnguard as a hunter.

Vampire Lord perks:

• Transformation ability with unique magic attacks (Vampiric Drain, Corpse Curse)
• Separate perk tree tied to draining life and raising the dead
• Access to Castle Volkihar as a home base with crafting stations
• Followers: Serana (best follower in the DLC), Fura Bloodmouth, Garan Marethi
• Drawbacks: Standard vampire weaknesses (fire, sunlight), though you can manage these

Dawnguard perks:

• Armored Trolls as follower pets (actually useful in combat)
• Enhanced Crossbows and explosive bolts via the Ancient Technology quest
• Access to Fort Dawnguard and Gunmar’s services for troll followers
• Followers: Ingjard, Celann, Durak, plus Serana still joins you regardless of faction
• No vampire weaknesses, so you can adventure freely without worrying about sun damage

Here’s the kicker: You can switch sides later, but it requires console commands on PC or curing vampirism after accepting Harkon’s gift. Most players report that Vampire Lord gameplay offers more novelty, especially if you’ve never tried a vampire playthrough. But if you’re running a stealth archer or two-handed warrior, the Dawnguard crossbows and armored trolls integrate better with traditional builds.

Serana remains a companion no matter which side you pick, so you won’t lose her either way. The main story missions are 80% identical: only a handful of quests differ in dialogue and location details.

Complete Dawnguard Faction Questline

Awakening: Meeting the Dawnguard

This intro quest sends you to Dimhollow Crypt to investigate vampire activity. You’ll fight through leveled Draugr and a few vampires before discovering Serana trapped in a sarcophagus sealed with an Elder Scroll. Free her, and she’ll become a temporary (and eventually permanent) follower.

Serana is essential, not just for the story but because she’s one of the few followers who can’t be killed. She’ll resurrect after being downed, making her ideal for higher difficulties. Escort her back to Fort Dawnguard to complete the quest and trigger Bloodline.

Bloodline: Making Your Critical Choice

Serana insists on returning to Castle Volkihar to see her family. Escort her there, meet Lord Harkon, and make your choice: accept vampirism or refuse. If you refuse, Harkon will be annoyed but let you leave. Return to Isran at Fort Dawnguard to continue on the hunter’s path.

Isran will send you to recruit two key members: Gunmar (a master hunter) and Sorine Jurard (a crossbow specialist). This begins the next quest, A New Order.

A New Order: Recruiting for the Cause

You’ll need to track down Gunmar and Sorine in the wilds of Skyrim. Gunmar is usually near the Halted Stream Camp or another radiant location fighting a bear. Sorine is typically near Steamcrag Camp or a similar outdoor spot, looking for her lost Dwemer gyro. Retrieve it from a nearby ruin (usually guarded by Dwarven spiders and spheres) and return it to her.

Both will agree to join the Dawnguard. Return to Fort Dawnguard, and Isran will upgrade the fort with crafting stations and new services. You’ll also unlock radiant quests from Gunmar and Sorine at this point.

Prophet: Seeking the Elder Scrolls

Isran tasks you with finding a Moth Priest to read the Elder Scroll Serana carries. Head to Forebears’ Holdout (marked on your map) to rescue Dexion Evicus from vampires. He’s held in a cage: free him and escort him back to Fort Dawnguard.

Dexion will read Serana’s Elder Scroll and reveal you need two more Elder Scrolls: the Dragon Scroll and the Sun Scroll. The Dragon Scroll is the one you used in the main quest (if you’ve completed it): if not, you’ll need to go through the main quest up to Alduin’s Bane. The Sun Scroll requires diving into the Soul Cairn, a new plane of Oblivion filled with undead.

To enter the Soul Cairn, you’ll need to either become a Soul Trapped mortal (temporary stat debuff until you recover your soul) or become a vampire. If you’re playing Dawnguard and don’t want to turn, the soul trap option is reversible. Once inside, the Soul Cairn is massive and easy to get lost in. Prioritize finding Valerica, Serana’s mother, who has the Elder Scroll. She’s located in Boneyard, guarded by Keepers and Bonemen.

Valerica will give you the Elder Scroll after you defeat the three Keepers guarding the Boneyard’s barriers. Each Keeper drops a page of a journal that hints at their location. Expect heavy combat, Keepers are tanky and hit hard. Use shouts like Become Ethereal or high-DPS builds to burn them down quickly.

Touching the Sky: The Ultimate Trial

With both scrolls in hand, return to Dexion. He’ll read the prophecy and reveal the next step: finding Auriel’s Bow, a legendary artifact that can blot out the sun (if used with Bloodcursed Arrows) or purify it (with Sunhallowed Arrows).

Serana knows the bow is hidden in the Forgotten Vale, a secret Snow Elf sanctuary. To get there, you’ll travel to Darkfall Cave and meet Gelebor, the last uncorrupted Snow Elf. He’ll task you with a pilgrimage to five Wayshrines scattered across the Vale.

The Forgotten Vale is one of Skyrim’s most visually stunning zones, but it’s also massive and confusing. According to detailed walkthroughs on Shacknews, the fastest route is to follow the river system northwest, hitting each Wayshrine in sequence. You’ll fight Falmer, Chaurus, and Frost Giants along the way, plus two dragons guarding the frozen lake.

The final Wayshrine leads to the Inner Sanctum, where you’ll confront Arch-Curate Vyrthur, a corrupted Snow Elf who created the prophecy. He’s the boss fight of the DLC, expect frost magic, teleportation, and summoned Falmer. Defeat him, claim Auriel’s Bow, and return to Fort Dawnguard.

Kindred Judgment: The Final Battle

Isran will rally the Dawnguard for an assault on Castle Volkihar. You’ll storm the castle with your recruits (Gunmar, Sorine, and any radiant quest allies), fighting through vampires and gargoyles to reach Lord Harkon in the cathedral.

Harkon is a multi-phase fight. He’ll use Vampire Lord form, summon gargoyles, and teleport around the room. Use Auriel’s Bow with Sunhallowed Arrows to deal massive bonus damage. Focus fire on him during his recovery phases when he reforms at the center of the room. Crossbows with explosive bolts work well if you’re not a bow user.

Defeat Harkon, and the Dawnguard questline concludes. You’ll receive Harkon’s sword and access to Castle Volkihar as a cleared dungeon (though it won’t become a true player home unless you mod it).

Complete Vampire Lord Faction Questline

Bloodline: Embracing the Vampire Lord Power

If you accept Harkon’s gift during Bloodline, you’ll gain the Vampire Lord transformation immediately. Harkon will give you a tutorial quest to test your new powers by killing a Radiant NPC in a nearby town (usually a beggar or low-level citizen). This is optional but recommended to unlock the Vampire Lord perk tree.

Vampire Lord form grants a separate perk tree with 11 perks, split between melee (claw attacks, power bites) and magic (Vampiric Drain, summoning gargoyles). You gain perk points by draining life or killing with power bites, not by leveling. Many players underestimate how powerful Vampire Lord becomes at higher perk levels, Corpse Curse turns victims into exploding undead mines, and Mist Form grants near-invulnerability.

The Bloodstone Chalice: Proving Your Worth

After pledging to Harkon, he’ll send you to fill the Bloodstone Chalice with the blood of powerful targets. This radiant quest sends you to kill a specific NPC (usually a named character like a Jarl’s steward or a court wizard). The target changes each playthrough, but it’s always someone with a bit of health and usually a guard escort.

Return the filled chalice to Harkon to gain his trust and unlock the next quest, Prophet.

Prophet: Uncovering Ancient Secrets

The vampire version of Prophet is nearly identical to the Dawnguard path. You’ll still rescue Dexion Evicus, read the Elder Scrolls, and learn about Auriel’s Bow. The main difference: Harkon sends you instead of Isran, and the dialogue reflects your vampire allegiance.

You’ll still need to enter the Soul Cairn and retrieve the Sun Scroll from Valerica. Serana’s mother is less than thrilled to see you as a vampire serving Harkon, but she’ll cooperate to stop the prophecy. The Soul Cairn section is identical for both factions.

Chasing Echoes: Confronting the Past

This vampire-exclusive quest occurs before entering the Soul Cairn. Harkon will send you to investigate Castle Volkihar’s Courtyard and Valerica’s Laboratory to find clues about the Elder Scroll’s location. You’ll fight Gargoyles (which are tougher than they look) and solve a simple puzzle involving Valerica’s Journal.

This quest adds a bit of backstory about Serana’s family and why Valerica fled to the Soul Cairn. It’s mostly narrative flavor, but it unlocks the portal to the Soul Cairn in the castle’s ruins.

Touching the Sky: Obtaining Auriel’s Bow

Identical to the Dawnguard version. You’ll journey through the Forgotten Vale, complete the Wayshrine pilgrimage, and defeat Arch-Curate Vyrthur. The only difference is dialogue, Gelebor will be more suspicious of you as a vampire, but he’ll still grant passage.

One advantage for vampire players: you can use Vampiric Drain to sustain yourself in the Vale’s long stretches without NPCs. As noted in guides on Game8, the Vale’s isolation makes it ideal for vampire builds since there’s no sun penalty in most sections.

Kindred Judgment: Claiming Victory

The vampire version flips the script. Instead of attacking Castle Volkihar, you’ll defend it against the Dawnguard assault. Harkon will station you in the cathedral and send waves of Dawnguard hunters to kill.

After repelling the attack, Serana will confront her father, calling out his obsession with the prophecy. Harkon will attack you regardless of your allegiance, forcing a boss fight identical to the Dawnguard path. The same tactics apply: Auriel’s Bow with Sunhallowed Arrows, focus fire during recovery phases, and kite his gargoyle summons.

Defeat Harkon, and Serana will thank you for ending her father’s madness. You’ll become the de facto leader of the Volkihar vampires (though this is mostly cosmetic, no gameplay perks). Castle Volkihar becomes a home base with access to Valerica’s alchemy lab and a few vampire-exclusive merchants.

Side Quests and Radiant Missions

Ancient Technology: Crossbow Enhancements

Sorine Jurard offers this quest if you join the Dawnguard. She’ll ask you to retrieve Dwemer schematics for enhanced crossbows scattered across ruins like Kagrumez, Nchuand-Zel, and others. Each schematic unlocks a new upgrade:

• Enhanced Crossbow: Ignores 50% of armor
• Enhanced Dwarven Crossbow: Faster reload, higher base damage
• Exploding Bolts: AoE fire damage on impact (ridiculously fun against groups)

You’ll need to explore Dwemer ruins and fight through Dwarven automatons to find these. The schematics are quest items, so they won’t weigh you down. This quest is essential for crossbow builds, the enhanced variants make crossbows competitive with bows for endgame DPS.

Lost to the Ages: The Aetherium Forge

This standalone side quest starts when you read The Aetherium Wars book (found in multiple locations, including the Bards College) or encounter Katria’s ghost at Arkngthamz. She’ll guide you through a treasure hunt across four Dwemer ruins to collect Aetherium Shards.

The payoff is access to the Aetherium Forge, where you can craft one of three unique items:

• Aetherial Crown: Lets you have two Standing Stone effects active simultaneously (broken for mage builds)
• Aetherial Shield: Becomes ethereal when bashed, negating all damage for 15 seconds
• Aetherial Staff: Summons a Dwarven Spider or Sphere

The Crown is the meta choice for min-maxers. Pairing the Lord Stone with the Atronach Stone makes you nearly immune to magic.

Radiant Quests for Both Factions

Both Dawnguard and Volkihar vampires offer repeatable radiant quests for leveling and gold. These are generic “kill X” or “retrieve Y” missions, but they’re useful for farming Vampire Lord perks or Dawnguard reputation.

Dawnguard radiant quests:

• Gunmar: Kill a master vampire or collect vampire dust
• Sorine: Retrieve Dwemer gyros from random ruins
• Isran: Destroy a vampire lair or rescue a captured ally

Volkihar radiant quests:

• Fura Bloodmouth: Turn a random NPC into a vampire thrall
• Garan Marethi: Retrieve a magical artifact from a ruin or dungeon
• Vingalmo: Kill a rival vampire or Dawnguard member

These quests don’t offer much beyond gold and generic loot, but they’re infinite and scale to your level. Many followers recruited through radiant quests will join your permanent roster, which is useful if you’re building an NPC team for larger battles.

Essential Tips for Completing Dawnguard Quests

Best Level and Preparation Before Starting

While Dawnguard auto-starts at level 10, most veterans recommend waiting until level 20-30 before diving deep into the questline. The DLC scales to your level, so starting too early means you’ll miss out on higher-tier loot (dragonbone weapons, enchanted vampire armor, etc.).

Bring potions. Lots of them. The Soul Cairn and Forgotten Vale are long, resource-draining zones with limited opportunities to restock. Pack resist frost potions for the Vale (everything deals frost damage) and magicka/stamina potions if you’re relying on shouts or power attacks.

Recommended Builds and Equipment

For Dawnguard players:

• Crossbow + Heavy Armor: Tank through vampire attacks, stagger with explosive bolts
• Two-Handed + Restoration: Use Stendarr’s Aura (bonus damage to undead) and Dawnbreaker for AoE undead explosions
• Armored Troll companions are genuinely useful. They tank damage and regenerate health quickly.

For Vampire Lords:

• Focus on magic perks in the Vampire Lord tree. Melee perks are underwhelming compared to Vampiric Drain upgrades.
• Use Necromage perk from the Restoration tree (increases all spell effects on undead, which includes you as a vampire). This buffs your enchantments by 25%.
• Pair Vampire Lord with stealth builds. You can transform, wreak havoc, then revert and sneak away. Serana will cover your escapes.

General tips:

• Bring a follower who can’t die (Serana, obviously, or any essential NPC).
• Auriel’s Bow with Sunhallowed Arrows creates a massive AoE sun explosion, great for clearing groups in the final battle.
• Stock up on soul gems. The Soul Cairn drains them fast if you’re using enchanted weapons.

Common Quest Bugs and How to Fix Them

Dawnguard is notorious for bugs, even in the Special Edition. Here are the most common and their fixes:

Bug: Serana won’t follow you after recruiting her.

• Fix: Dismiss all other followers before starting Bloodline. If she’s still stuck, fast-travel away and back, or use console command setrelationshiprank player 3 targeting her.

Bug: Elder Scroll (Dragon) won’t appear in inventory.

• Fix: If you sold the Elder Scroll to Urag gro-Shub after completing the main quest, you’ll need to buy it back from him. It costs around 4,000 gold. Don’t sell quest items, folks.

Bug: Touching the Sky won’t progress: Wayshrines won’t activate.

• Fix: Make sure you’re using Initiate’s Ewer to draw water from the basin at each Wayshrine. If the ewer disappears, reload a save. As explained in walkthroughs on Twinfinite, this bug often triggers if you fast-travel mid-pilgrimage.

Bug: Kindred Judgment won’t start: Harkon won’t initiate combat.

• Fix: This happens if you have an active radiant quest from the opposing faction. Complete or abandon any Dawnguard/Volkihar radiant quests before starting the final mission. On PC, you can use setstage DLC1VQ08 10 to force the quest to progress.

Save often. Seriously. Dawnguard’s script-heavy quests can break mid-run, and you don’t want to lose 3 hours of progress in the Soul Cairn because a Keeper decided not to spawn.

Unique Rewards and Collectibles from Dawnguard

Dawnguard packs some of the best loot in Skyrim, especially for specialized builds. Here’s what you’ll want to grab:

Weapons:

• Auriel’s Bow: Legendary bow with 20 sun damage vs. undead. Can be enhanced with Sunhallowed or Bloodcursed Arrows for unique effects (AoE explosion or sun eclipse).
• Harkon’s Sword: Absorbs 15 health, magicka, and stamina. Solid one-handed option for vampire builds.
• Dawnguard Rune Axe: One-handed axe that deals 100 extra sun damage on 10th hit. Requires completing Lost Relic radiant quest.
• Enhanced Crossbows: Ignore 50% armor: Dwarven variant has the highest base damage of any crossbow.

Armor:

• Vampire Royal Armor: Light armor set with Magicka regen bonuses. Found in Castle Volkihar.
• Dawnguard Heavy Armor: Full heavy set with high base stats. Craftable after joining Dawnguard.
• Ancient Falmer Armor: Light armor set with unique aesthetic. Found in the Forgotten Vale: all pieces are scattered across the zone.

Spells and Shouts:

• Summon Durnehviir: Shout that summons the Soul Cairn’s dragon ally. Cooldown is long, but he’s a tank in dragon form.
• Soul Tear: Shout that deals 300 damage, traps souls, and reanimates targets. Unlocked by summoning Durnehviir three times.
• Drain Life: Vampire spell that absorbs health over time. Pairs well with Necromage perk.

Alchemy and Crafting:

• Aetherium Forge: Craft one of three unique Aetherial items (Crown, Shield, or Staff).
• Shellbug Helmet: Unique helmet found in the Forgotten Vale. Requires killing shellbugs and using their shells.
• Paragons: Five Paragon gems found in the Forgotten Vale unlock secret areas when placed on the Paragon Platform. Each area contains high-level loot (enchanted weapons, rare alchemy ingredients).

Followers:

• Serana: Best follower in the game. Can’t die, uses powerful Destruction magic, and won’t trigger traps. She’ll also provide vampiric support by reanimating fallen enemies.
• Frea: Not Dawnguard-exclusive, but worth mentioning. She’s essential and won’t die, making her a great backup if Serana’s unavailable.
• Armored Trolls (Dawnguard only): Purchasable from Gunmar for 500 gold each. They regenerate health absurdly fast and tank most boss fights.

Collecting all five Paragons and visiting the secret Forgotten Vale areas is a completionist’s dream. Each Paragon area has leveled loot chests and rare alchemy ingredients like Chaurus Hunter Antennae and Gleamblossom.

Conclusion

The Dawnguard questline remains one of Skyrim’s most replayable expansions. Whether you’re blotting out the sun as a Vampire Lord or purging the undead with explosive crossbow bolts, the branching paths and unique rewards offer genuine build variety. The Soul Cairn and Forgotten Vale stand out as some of the most atmospheric zones Bethesda has ever designed, even if the occasional quest bug threatens to derail your progress.

Pick your faction based on playstyle, not story, both paths converge to the same conclusion, so your build matters more than your allegiance. And remember: Serana’s sticking around no matter what, so you’re never truly alone in the dark.