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The Acceptance Test

The Acceptance Test is a quest.

Details

Property	Description
Giver	Dark Brotherhood
Membership	Prospect
Requirements	Rank 0+
Summary	Poison a noble's wine decanter with snake venom, put it back, and report to the Brotherhood.

Objectives

Use the location names in your quest journal. Follow map markers when they are available.

Step	Objective	Optional
1	Travel to the quest destination in the named region and see the apothecary, as the letter you were handed bids	No
2	Poison the wine in the contact's decanter at the quest destination in the named town	No
3	Put the poisoned decanter back in the quest destination	No
4	Report to the Brotherhood member in the named town	No

Choices

Decision	Choice
The Brotherhood's test: the contact's wine, and your hand in it.	Poison the wine
The Brotherhood's test: the contact's wine, and your hand in it.	Face the Brotherhood with the contact still alive
A novice is owed a single gold coin for the first sanctioned death.	Take the coin
A novice is owed a single gold coin for the first sanctioned death.	Give it to Mephala

Outcomes

Added gear requires a successful quest payment and a qualifying outcome. Quest mail alone does not count as payment.

Outcome	Gold multiplier	Gear choice
The contact's heart failed. You are a Brother of the Dark Brotherhood, and one gold coin the richer.	100%	Yes
The contact's heart failed, and your first coin went to Mephala. The Brotherhood marks such devotion.	75%	Yes
The contact still lives. Someone must die once a contract is accepted, and the Brotherhood's blades came for you.	No added payment	No
The Brotherhood's invitation went unanswered. It will remember.	No added payment	No

Outcome	Change type	Target	Change
The contact's heart failed, and your first coin went to Mephala. The Brotherhood marks such devotion.	Faction reputation	The Dark Brotherhood	+3
The contact's heart failed, and your first coin went to Mephala. The Brotherhood marks such devotion.	Faction reputation	Mephala	+2

With Questlines enabled, these outcomes control the added rewards. Gold multipliers apply only to gold the quest actually pays. A gear choice offers a weapon, armour and jewellery; keep one. See Quest rewards and loot for rarity, payment and online reward rules.

Possible quest foes

Foe	Group size
Assassin	2
Spellsword	1
Nightblade	2

These are the script’s possible foe groups, including conditional encounters. They are not all guaranteed to appear together; repeated attacks and ordinary dungeon enemies can add more. Follow a foe’s reference for its combat rules before choosing weapons.

Scripted gold

Payment	Base amount (gold)
Gold payment	1

These are the script’s unscaled payment ranges, before the outcome multiplier and any party split. A payment still requires its quest objective or branch; the listed payments are not automatically awarded together.

See Quest reference for offer requirements across quests.

Online, a failed outcome does not apply its faction-reputation penalties. Legal-standing changes and choices made during the quest are separate.

Sources (18)