The Imperial Palace is the Emperor’s home and the capital of the Imperium, a city-sized fortress sprawled across what used to be Asia on Terra. It’s where the Golden Throne sits, where the Adeptus Terra runs the Imperium, and where the Siege of Terra nearly ended everything.
What the Imperial Palace actually is
It’s both a palace and a capital city, covering a huge stretch of Terra’s surface. The Adeptus Custodes oversee it, but the Adeptus Terra bureaucracy works from inside it.
The scale is hard to picture. Macro-habs and spaceports break through the atmosphere into the void, while sub-levels dig hundreds of miles into the bedrock. No complete inventory of its vaults, corridors, and chambers exists.
- Seat of the Emperor and the Adeptus Terra
- Guarded by the Adeptus Custodes
- Divided into Inner and Outer Palaces
- Home to the Golden Throne in the Sanctum Imperialis
History and construction
Work began after the Unification Wars, built around the Himalayan Mountains as a monument to mankind’s new unity. Rogal Dorn oversaw the defenses, which annoyed Perturabo no end.
Construction dragged on for at least 200 years, still ongoing by the end of the Great Crusade. During the Horus Heresy, Dorn stripped much of the palace’s beauty to reinforce it for war.
Defenses and layout
The outer wall soared more than half a mile high in places, with a span of 100 feet. Defensive towers bristled with guns covering every approach, and the Eternity Wall and Lions Gate spaceports handled the palace’s traffic.
Inside, avenues were wide enough for armies to march through. The dungeons below held the Emperor’s secret laboratories, where he created the Legiones Astartes, and a gate into the Webway.
| Area | What it’s known for |
|---|---|
| Sanctum Imperialis | The Emperor’s residence and the Golden Throne |
| Eternity Gate | A key portal, defended during the Siege of Terra |
| Outer Palace | Administrative and residential zones |
| Inner Palace | The Emperor’s most secure sanctum |
Attacks on the palace
It’s only faced two major assaults. The first was the Siege of Terra at the end of the Horus Heresy, which left scars still visible in the 41st Millennium.
The second came after the Thirteenth Black Crusade, when Khorne’s legions poured through the Great Rift. Roboute Guilliman, newly reborn, stopped them before they reached the Eternity Gate.
Key facts
- The Imperial Palace is both the Emperor’s residence and the Imperium’s capital city on Terra.
- It covers a huge area of Terra’s Asian continent, built around the Himalayan Mountains.
- Construction started after the Unification Wars and lasted at least 200 years.
- The Adeptus Custodes oversee the palace; the Adeptus Terra works from inside it.
- It’s survived two major assaults: the Siege of Terra and the Khorne invasion after the Great Rift opened.
- The Golden Throne sits in the Sanctum Imperialis within the Inner Palace.
FAQ
Where is the Imperial Palace located?
It’s built across a large part of Terra’s Asian continent, centered on the Himalayan Mountains. In the 41st Millennium, the surrounding area is nothing like the mountains we’d recognize today.
Who guards the Imperial Palace?
The Adeptus Custodes oversee it, though the Adeptus Terra runs the Imperium’s bureaucracy from within. During the Horus Heresy, Rogal Dorn commanded its defenses.
Has the Imperial Palace ever fallen?
No. It’s come under major attack twice, during the Siege of Terra and after the Thirteenth Black Crusade, but both times the attackers were turned back.