Someone dead from poisoning; ©Bethesda Softworks
Many poisons are used throughout Tamriel and in the east. The Sapiarchs of the College on the Summerset Archipelago study the histories and qualities of various poisons in addition to their healing arts, but their use seems to be more widespread for nefarious activities such as in assassins guilds (e.g., the Dark Brotherhood). Poisons are also used politically where one might offer poisoned wine to those they consider dangerous.
About
Poisons are regarded with fear and loathing by knights and high lords alike in the feudal societies of Tamriel. Many regard them as vile weapons used only by the debauched sots. It is also seen as a weapon of cravens, eunuchs, and bastards.
Common Poisons
A poisoned man - by Katherine Dinger; ©Fantasy Flight Games
Common poisons include nightshade extract, derived from a plant by the same name. Animal and insect venoms such as snake and dreugh venom are also known to be used, though they are harder to gather. Dreugh venom is particularly vicious and can be treated to make it work more slowly, causing its victim to die in slow agony. Every hedge wizard knows the common poisons.
Rare Poisons
Ambiguous Poisons
There are also ambiguous poisons. Tansy tea aborts pregnancies, which makes some Sapiarchs of the College reluctant to call it a medicine. X brings deep sleep in small doses, but larger doses can kill. Large enough doses of most medicines can be fatal; the difference with X is that the fatal dose is still quite small relative to other medicines. A physician must therefore be very careful when administering it. Some poisons do not kill, but only make the victim indisposed for a time.
Administering Poisons
A scholar poisoning a goblet of wine - by Mike Capprotti; ©Fantasy Flight Games
Poisons are commonly administered to victims in food or drink, which can also serve to mask their taste and odour. Because of this, noble kitchens are often guarded, and food tasters are employed to protect their masters' lives with their own. Even so, clever poisoners manage to slip past the safeguards from time to time, and at least as many nobles' deaths are caused by a poisoned cup or dish as by a bloodied blade, if not more so. Poison may also be delivered by coating a weapon or even through the skin. An assassin may even coat a gold coin with poison, and pass it to the target who is poisoned when he bites the coin to test its value.
List of Known Poisons
Posion made from the deathbell plant; ©Bethesda Softworks