The Nova Terra Interregnum was a nine-century civil war in the 35th millennium when the Ur-Council of Nova Terra rejected the High Lords of Terra and ruled the Segmentum Pacificus as a rival empire. It’s the closest the Imperium has come to tearing itself apart since the Horus Heresy.
What was the nova terra interregnum?
Sometimes called the time of twin Empires, the Interregnum began when the Ur-Council of Nova Terra dismissed the authority of the High Lords and claimed rule over the Segmentum Pacificus. For roughly nine hundred years, the Imperium had two competing centres of power: Terra and Nova Terra.
The break wasn’t just political. The schism eventually spread to the Adeptus Mechanicus, triggering the Moirae Schism, a doctrinal split that echoed the wider divide.
The cataclysm of souls and religious war
In 975.M35, the Ecclesiarchy tried to reunite the Imperium as a single religious state. Their pushback against the Ur-Council exploded into the Cataclysm of Souls, a wave of religious wars not seen since the Horus Heresy.
These weren’t border skirmishes. The fighting drew in Space Marine Chapters and became a full-blown civil war, with the Dark Angels launching a daring raid on Nova Terra itself.
The Dark Angels and the hunt for Cypher
The Dark Angels suspected that the mysterious Cypher was actually the Saviour of Praxus, a member of the Ur-Council. They attacked Nova Terra to capture him, but the raid failed and they secured no prisoner.
Later, during the Hrakon Campaign, the Dark Angels cornered Obidiah Hrakon, a key supporter of Nova Terra. The Interregnum gave the Fallen and their pursuers plenty of cover for their own secret war.
How the interregnum ended and why it matters
The civil conflict eventually wound down, but the Imperium was left scarred and suspicious. The Interregnum showed that the High Lords’ authority could be challenged for centuries, more than years.
Far from the fighting, the Realm of Ultramar actually grew stronger during this period. It stayed free of the turmoil that gripped the rest of the Imperium, a fact the Ultramarines still remember.
- Lasted about nine hundred years, making it one of the longest internal conflicts in Imperial history.
- Also known as the time of twin Empires.
- Sparked the Moirae Schism within the Adeptus Mechanicus.
- Involved the Ecclesiarchy’s attempt to create a religious state in 975.M35.
- The Dark Angels attacked Nova Terra hunting Cypher and later fought Obidiah Hrakon.
- Ultramar was strengthened by the chaos elsewhere.
Key facts
- The Nova Terra Interregnum lasted nine hundred years and is also called the time of twin Empires.
- It began when the Ur-Council of Nova Terra dismissed the High Lords and claimed the Segmentum Pacificus.
- The civil war spread to the Adeptus Mechanicus as the Moirae Schism.
- In 975.M35 the Ecclesiarchy’s attempt to unify the Imperium as a religious state led to the Cataclysm of Souls.
- The Dark Angels raided Nova Terra hunting Cypher and later fought Obidiah Hrakon.
- Ultramar was strengthened by the Interregnum and avoided the worst of the turmoil.
FAQ
What caused the Nova Terra Interregnum?
The Ur-Council of Nova Terra rejected the authority of the High Lords of Terra and declared themselves rulers of the Segmentum Pacificus. That political break eventually widened into a full civil war.
How long did the Nova Terra Interregnum last?
It lasted for nine centuries, which is why it’s remembered as one of the longest periods of internal strife in the Imperium’s history.
What was the Moirae Schism?
The Moirae Schism was a split within the Adeptus Mechanicus that grew out of the wider division caused by the Nova Terra Interregnum. It showed how deep the Interregnum’s impact ran.