Introduced in the appropriately named Dawnguard DLC for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, the Dawnguard are a group of dedicated vampire hunters who work diligently to prevent Harkon and his Volkihar vampires from darkening the sun, which would allow them to walk around freely during the day.
The modern-day Dawnguard is a well-established band of fighters by the conclusion of the DLC, but they weren't always this way, with their history being well known by at least one member of the Vigilants of Stendarr, but not many others. Because of this, there are still many questions about the Dawnguard that aren't answered by the end of the story.
10 Why Is There So Little History On Them?
Through some dialogue with Isran, it is explained that the Dawnguard were once a group of vampire hunters who worked hard to clear Skyrim of the vampire threat, though they apparently did such a good job that they were disbanded when the people stopped believing vampires were a problem. It would be assumed that if Isran knew about the Dawnguard, there would be others who were more well versed in their history. But that doesn't seem to be the case, with very few characters in the game knowing much about their history.
9 Why Does The History On Them Conflict?
What little history the player is able to glean about the older version of the Dawnguard is somewhat conflicting. They are said to have begun life under the orders of the Jarl of Riften at the time, whose son was infected with vampirism, though he couldn't bring himself to kill his son. Instead, he formed the Dawnguard, built Fort Dawnguard, and tasked them with keeping his son imprisoned. The problem is that there is no dungeon in Fort Dawnguard, with the closest thing to a prison being the maze that is Dead Drop Falls, though even this wouldn't be enough to keep a vampire held for very long.
8 Were They The Bad Guys?
According to Isran, the Dawnguard was disbanded when they were deemed no longer necessary, but there is evidence to suggest that this was the case. In dialogue with Florentius Baenius, he suggests that the Dawnguard grew so fond of their position of power that they conducted raids and killed innocent civilians without provocation.
Considering Riften's heavy tie to organized crime, it wouldn't be farfetched to think that this is possible, but it also raises the question of whether there was actually a strong vampire threat in Skyrim at all.
7 Did They Become Vampires?
Sorine Jurard, an old acquaintance of Isran who joins the Dawnguard's new cause, has her own theories on what happened to the Dawnguard before they were disbanded. She speculates that the Dawnguard, jealous of the inherent power vampires possessed, decided to become vampires themselves, preying on the people of the Rift before they were eventually hunted down and killed. It's an interesting theory, but like every other theory on the history of the Dawnguard, there isn't much to back up the claim.
6 What Happened To The Jarl's Son?
Despite the many conflicting stories about the Dawnguard, the one constant is the story of the Jarl's son becoming a vampire. However, there isn't much consistency in what actually happened to this son once he was imprisoned by the Dawnguard. There is the theory that they couldn't keep the Jarl's son contained and had to kill him, subsequently being banished from the Rift, but this would conflict with other stories of them staying in the Rift to cause havoc on the people of Riften. Only one thing is absolutely certain about the history of the Dawnguard: nothing is certain about the history of the Dawnguard.
5 Why Are Crossbows Their Signature Weapons?
As the signature weapons of the Dawnguard, it's hard to find a more powerful and common weapon in their arsenal. Aside from their connection to the Dawnguard, crossbows are more prevalently seen on Dwarven Spheres in Skyrim, which raises some questions on why the Dawnguard chose this weapon in particular. The Dwemer disappeared during the First Era, but the Dawnguard weren't formed officially until the Second Era, which began 2200 years after the disappearance of the Dwarves. The Dwemer were known for their particularly advanced technology, but the crossbow was easily one of their more low-tech advances compared to the likes of Spheres and Centurions.
4 Where Are The Non-Humanoid Races?
It could simply be the result of the events of Dawnguard taking place in Skyrim, but there are no beast races that can be recruited to the Dawnguard throughout the storyline. Unless the player chooses to make their character a Khajiit or Argonian, the Dawnguard is made up entirely of humanoid races, with the only elven character being Durak.
Skyrim is much further north than Elsweyr and Black Marsh but is right next to Morrowind, with the Rift being right up against the border of Skyrim and Morrowind. Skyrim is also home to many Khajiit traders, with most caravans having a dedicated bodyguard who is very proficient in combat, meaning there should be more Khajiit lining up to join.
3 How Are They So Good With Magic?
Aside from their abilities with a crossbow, the Dawnguard were apparently very good with magic, particularly Enchanting. During their first iteration, the Dawnguard was able to create the Rune gear: the Dawnguard Rune Hammer, Dawnguard Rune Axe, and Dawnguard Rune Shield. These are powerfully enchanted items that don't require any recharging and are capable of harnessing natural sunlight for offensive attacks, something even those at the College of Winterhold can't easily do.
2 What Did Isran Do?
Multiple members of the Dawnguard that the player can recruit say that they have known Isran for a long time, a few even served with him in the Vigilants of Stendarr, but their friendship fell apart when they realized what he was capable of. However, whatever Isran said or did is never specified, though it is implied that it has something to do with his hatred of vampires, who killed his family and resulted in him joining the Vigilants in the first place.
1 How Did Gunmar Train Trolls?
The greatest question of all time regarding the Dawnguard: how in the world did Gunmar manage to train trolls to fight vampires? The idea seems like the absurd ramblings of a man desperate to find some way to one-up the power of a vampire, but this Nordic blacksmith who moonlights as a vampire slayer somehow managed to not only tame one of the most savage beasts of Skyrim but also equip it with armor.