Lore:Coldharbour Compact

"Disasters such as befell Gilverdale should be averted. Only through certain intermediaries such as witches or sorcerers will they answer the call of man and mer."
—Sotha Sil

The Coldharbour Compact was an agreement between the Tribunal god Sotha Sil and eight powerful Daedric Princes: Azura, Boethia, Hermaeus Mora, Hircine, Malacath, Mehrunes Dagon, Molag Bal, and Sheogorath. The Compact was created in response to the destruction of Gilverdale by Molag Bal. The summit took place in Coldharbour between the 3rd and 5th of Rain's Hand, 1E 2920 after Sotha Sil entered Coldharbour from Artaeum's Dreaming Cave. Little is known about the specifics of the compact, but Sotha Sil managed to persuade the Princes to cease meddling in mortal affairs directly through a private bargain. Possibly a credible threat or a significant offer was presented in exchange. It is theorized that the compact prevents the Princes from directly manifesting on Nirn, but did not stop them from exerting their will through intermediaries.

Treaty Signing

"The Coldharbour Compact was an accord reached at a specific moment in time, to solve for a specific set of variables. Like all negotiations, it is only as binding as signatories wish it to be. And its stipulations neither impacted nor excepted individuals not present at the time. You wish to see order where there is chaos and seek uniformity where there exists only exceptions. Such is the truth of Nirn. Such will it always be."
—Sotha Sil

According to Hermaeus Mora's Seekers, the prince made a pact with every mortal on Nirn to cease all direct interposition in Mundial affairs, and for his agreement it seemed he was paid a great price, something he dearly desired. The compact appeared to bind in both directions, resulting in mortals no longer coming to Apocrypha.

Mehrunes Dagon himself leads credence to the idea that Sotha Sil spoke of a consequence to violating the pact. Despite agreeing to it, Mehrunes Dagon arrived in Tamriel and destroyed the city of Mournhold just a few months later in Sun's Dusk of 1E 2920, before being banished by Almalexia and Sotha Sil. For breaking the truce, Dagon himself was broken on the soil of Mournhold. After banishing him alongside Almalexia, Sotha Sil also closed the planar doors between Nirn and the Deadlands, blocking off all access for Dagon as further punishment for breaking the Compact, and thus showing at least one punishment that could be imposed on the Princes for not following the terms of the compact.

Violations

The Compact did not bind Daedric Princes that were not present during the Compact, as the Daedric Triad composed of Clavicus Vile, Mephala, and Nocturnal attempted to remake Nirn in their image during the Daedric War of the Second Era. Mephala and Clavicus Vile would join a Compact with Sotha Sil circa 2E 582 after Nocturnal took control of the triad's plot, and aided the Psijic Order in stopping her from achieving infinite power. Much like the Coldharbour Compact itself, the specifics of the agreement are unknown. Furthermore, it is not even certain if they are considered to be the same Compact.

It is in the nature of Daedric Princes to be chaotic and uncontrollable, and thus the terms of the agreement has been violated at times. The Compact did not prevent Molag Bal's attempted Planemeld in the Second Era, nor did it stop Mehrunes Dagon from manifesting directly on Nirn in his true form during the Oblivion Crisis in 3E 433. It is possible that Sotha Sil's demise left nobody to enforce the Compact. It's also possible that the Compact was circumvented in these cases due to them being brought about by mortals (namely Mannimarco and Mankar Camoran).

Books

• 2920, The Last Year of the First Era by Carlovac Townway — A fictional series of books about historical events involving Vivec and the Empire
• The Coldharbour Compact — A poem on Sotha Sil's mysterious First Era agreement with the Daedric Princes

References

Note: The following references are considered to be unofficial sources. They are included to round off this article and may not be authoritative or conclusive.