The following steps are required to start Skyrim Dawnguard:

1) Purchase the DLC

Skyrim Dawnguard is not a free expansion. You have to buy it first, either from Steam, Xbox Live, or the Playstation Store. The game costs $20 at Steam ($25 for Australia) or 1,600 Microsoft Xbox Live Points (The expansion is not yet available at the PSN store as of the time of writing this article).

2) Download and Install the game.

Once you have purchased the game, make sure you have downloaded and installed it. Installation method will differ based on system, but the installation instructions should be similar to any other DLC for that system. If you are having problems installing it, leave a comment including which system you have.

3) Character Level Requirements

Your character must be level 10 or above to start Dawnguard. Choose a character higher than level 10 if you have one, otherwise level your character up to level 10 before you can begin the quests.

4) Getting the first quest

Go to one of the major hold capitals, such as Whiterun. There, you can receive the quest in two possible ways:

a) Talk to Durak

You will usually find Durak wandering the streets in the city you traveled to first. He will start telling you about the Dawnguard, and eventually you will be given a dialog choice asking how to enlist, which will start the quest (named, "Dawnguard").

b) Talk to a Guard

Find one of the guards of the city. Usually they will talk to you first when you approach them. They will tell you about the Dawnguard.

5) Check Quest Journal

The quest should now appear in your quest journal. Set it as active, and fast travel to Riften to begin your journey to Fort Dawnguard!

Next part: Skyrim Dawnguard Walkthrough: Fort Dawnguard Location