Cybertron was not always the utopian planet it is today. In days past,a bitter war was fought against the forces ofExarchon, nearly bringing Cybertron andits people to ruin. In the aftermath of such a destructive conflict, measures were taken to ensure such horrors never again threatened Cybertron withNominus Prime passing theNominus Edict, a piece of legislation that would ensure security and stability on Cybertron for eons to come. Though the Edict helped recover from the war, an increasing number of Cybertronians feel that the bill has long since overstayed its welcome and now works more to stymie the potential and ambitions of their species.

There are six known articles of the Edict:

• No furthercolonies will be established unless by unanimous agreement of theSenate.
• NoEnergon harvesting will be undertaken in sectors inhabited or claimed by other sentient life, or in sectors adjoining such sectors.
• Energon reserves stored on Cybertron or in the immediate system will at all times be maintained at a level sufficient to supply all foreseeable needs for ten kilocycles.
• The Senate will define a frequency of forgings that is consistent with the maintenance of such reserves.
• The Senate will define a level of Energon provision directly to all Cybertronians that is consistent with the maintenance of such Energon reserves.
• Non-integral weapons judged to possess lethal capability will be prohibited on Cybertron and its immediate system.

Fiction

IDW 2019 continuity

The Nominus Edict was passed sometime after the war against the Threefold Spark as a way to keep the peace on the planet.Orion Pax: Free FallThe Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part One According toMegatron, the passing of the Nominus Edict caused "hundreds" to be exiled while weapons were either destroyed or sealed away. In the name of preservingenergon, not only was the precious substance hoarded to reduce the risk of shortages, but forgings were limited. The Edict also affected Cybertron's interstellar policies, restricting the development of newcolonies so as to not antagonizealien races.The World In Your Eyes Part Five As a result of this, Cybertron's shipyards were dismantled, an act Megatron bore witness to, with most of the mines, their bounty having once fuelled the Age ofExpansion, likewise being shut down.The Change In Your Nature Part Three The sport of gladiatorial combat was another victim of the Edict, the arenas being shut down and putting the former contestants out of their jobs.Transformers Valentine's Day Special

The great visionaryTermagax was a noted critic of the Edict, a sentiment she passed onto Megatron, and founded a movement, "theAscenticons", to try and introduce change into society once again.The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Two Termagax's words however were not enough to sway theSenate and she left society all together, taking up residence in aprivate lodging out in the wilderness.The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part TwoThe Change In Your Nature Part Three When theWinged Moon first came online, Megatron felt that the Edict had overstayed its welcome and now served only to keep the Cybertronian race trapped by their fear of the past.Orion Pax: Free Fall

At a rally inTarn, Megatron heavily criticized the Edict, lamenting that it had led to their kind constricting their own multi-faceted nature and wastingPrimus's gifts.The World In Your Eyes Part Two After an aborted lesson inalternate modes,Windblade explained toRubble how rare a newborn was ever since the Edict had been passed, noting that such a law would only change if the Ascenticons got their way.The World In Your Eyes Part Three So rare had forgings become thatBumblebee could not recall the last time that two had happened within a hundred cycles of one another.The World In Your Eyes Part Four

Megatron gave another speech criticizing the Nominus Edict, opining it had caused a cascading effect that served only to limit their species, both at home and in space.The World In Your Eyes Part Five

When interrogated bySecurity Operations,Froid had similar thoughts about the Edict, andAutobot law in general, comparing the Cybertronian race to a heat generating liquid and the constricting laws to a tightly sealed jar, noting that, eventually, there would be an eruption.The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Two