Introduction
WHILE this article is incomplete, please refer to this article for information on the Omen's theology and beliefs: The Omen of Ulendreaism.
The Omen is the dominant faith of Lorien, if only because it disallows the proliferation of other beliefs. A religion of callous tenets and principles, and one that promotes blind obedience to the Kindred. Still, one cannot deny the effect the Omen has upon society - their work alongside the Argent to keep Hollows in line, their balance of power between them and the Nobility that has reined in a great deal of exploitative practices. The Omen are everywhere, looking through unseen eyes. They have been called the greatest intelligence gathering network of all, and they are eager expand this preeminence to much more than that.
History
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Operations
As mentioned here, the Omen is split between three monastic factions, as well as the core faction which they all support. These three are the Order, the Vicars, and the Pact, and most central of them is the Order. The Order acts as the main operational, enforcing body of the Omen, not only serving the role of inquisitors and agents but also as soldiers to hunt monsters and root out cults, heresy and other enemies of the faith. The Vicars are secluded and elite, and while they certainly supervise Omen operations to some unseen but notable degree, their impact on the faith is not public knowledge.
The Pact is perhaps almost adverse to Omen operations, particularly considering many chapters of the Pact appear to have gone rogue in recent years, leading to Kindred arriving and culling their membership. There is currently rigorous debate within the faith as to whether the Pact should even continue to exist, as they appear to produce rebellious ideas irregardless of re-education and interference. Despite this, they have served an important role for the Omen in the past, and provide research towards an alternative to Hollows and Knights, something the Omen is highly interested in.
Within these groups, members of the Omen still generally carry the same ranks and titles as otherwise, as these monastic orders appear to be venues in order to prove one's self to the organization and therefore be given greater recognition. So, members of the Order are still Faithful, Curate, Bishops, Lectors and Archlectors, merely serving a different and specialized set of functions in order to contribute to the overall church. Therefore, it is important to detail each tier in the Omen's ladder, and how they operate within the overall structure.
To begin with, we have the Faithful; wip
After them is the Curate, or the basic and most predominantly recognized priesthood of the faith. xx
Bishops are given control over parishes and small cathedrals, and are recognized as high ranking officers within whatever monastic order they ascribe to. xx
Lectors are an interesting group: while they are almost always Celebrant, this is not truly a requirement, leading many within the Nobility to worry for what their presence means for typical notions of class divide. Indeed, Celebrant are regarded as the religious and cultural elite of Rien society, but a Lector of any class may surpass them in their religious significance, or stand equally among Celebrant Lectors. xx
Archlectors... wip