The Upper Hive is where power lives. It is a realm of soaring spires, gilded corridors, and carefully maintained temperature controls that keep the cold at bay and the stench of the lower levels from rising too high. To walk the streets of the Upper Hive is to move through a different world entirely—one where the Imperium's grandeur is on full display, where the mighty congregate to scheme and the faithful come to pray beneath vaulted ceilings that stretch toward the heavens.
But even here, in the heights of Omin, the rot is never far below the surface. Behind the polished façades and pious declarations, factions jostle for influence, secrets are hoarded like currency, and the distance between sanctity and heresy is narrower than the Ministorum would care to admit.
The Cathedral Ward is the spiritual heart of Omin, dominated by the towering presence of the Cathedrum Ominis—the Cathedral of All Omin. It is a monument to Imperial faith, a fortress of stone and faith that rises like a great mountain from the hive's upper levels. Its walls are carved with scenes from the Imperial Creed, its entrance is a wall of skulls arranged in geometric patterns, and above its doors are inscribed the words IMPERATOR PROTEGIT, IN MEMORIAM HEROES IMPERII—The Emperor Protects, In Memory of the Heroes of the Imperium.
Inside, the Cathedrum is a breathtaking sight. Vaulted ceilings stretch impossibly high, their stonework adorned with gilded eagles and carved aquilas. Stained-glass windows—a rarity in the hive—filter the crimson light of the Rictus Borealis into shades of amber and gold, casting the interior in a warm, almost holy glow. The central nave features a vivid carving depicting the Macharian Crusade, with Lord Macharius himself standing triumphant over a sea of vanquished enemies, guided by the light of the Emperor blazing from above.
The Cathedrum is more than a place of worship. It is a symbol of the Ministorum's authority, a reminder to all citizens of Omin that the Emperor's gaze is upon them and that His servants are watching. Services are held daily, attended by the faithful and the merely dutiful in equal measure. On holy days, the Cathedrum is packed to bursting, its aisles filled with throngs of worshippers who come to hear the High Celebrant preach about duty, sacrifice, and the eternal struggle against the darkness.
But the Cathedrum is not beloved by all. To the common citizens of Omin, the Cathedral Ward represents the high church—distant, sanctimonious, and concerned more with its own grandeur than the daily struggles of the faithful. The priests who serve here are often referred to as "cathedrals" by the lower hive's population, a term that carries both respect and resentment in equal measure. Cathedrals are the officially sanctioned clergy, the ones who answer to the Ministorum and enforce the Creed with all the weight of Imperial authority behind them.
In contrast, those who serve in the unsanctioned churches of the lower hive—the small, makeshift shrines and forgotten chapels where the truly desperate go to pray—are called "underthedrals". underthedrals are not part of the Ministorum. They operate in the shadows, tending to the spiritual needs of low Ominites without official recognition or support. Some are earnest priests who genuinely believe in the Emperor's grace and see their work as a calling. Others are charlatans, heretics, or worse. The Ministorum regards them with suspicion, and the Inquisition regards them with outright hostility. But they persist, because the lower hive is vast, and the cathedrals cannot—or will not—reach everyone.
Adeptus Ministorum: The Ministorum maintains its main headquarters in one of the great annexes of the Cathedrum Ominis. Here, in chambers of polished stone and incense-thick air, the High Celebrant and their retinue oversee the spiritual administration of the Sethis System. The Ministorum's power in Omin is substantial but not absolute. They lack the military might of the Adeptus Mechanicus, the reach of the Navis Imperialis, or the influence of the Lords Leeran. What they have instead is faith—and the willingness to wield it as a weapon.
The current High Celebrant is Cardinal-Deacon Erasmus Volg, a gaunt, severe man in his late sixties who has held the position for nearly two decades. Volg is a true believer, a firebrand preacher who sees heresy in every shadow and regards the Rictus Borealis as a test of Omin's faith. Under his leadership, the Ministorum has intensified its efforts to root out heresy, purge the underthedrals, and bring the lower hive into the fold of the Creed—whether they like it or not.
Volg's sermons are legendary for their fire and fury. He preaches that Omin stands on the edge of damnation, that the rift above is a wound in reality opened by mankind's sins, and that only through unwavering faith and brutal self-discipline can the city hope to survive. His rhetoric resonates with some—particularly the faithful of the upper hive, who appreciate his certainty and his willingness to name enemies. But it also alienates others, particularly those in the lower hive who see the Ministorum as out of touch, hypocritical, and more concerned with control than salvation.
The Ministorum's resources are stretched thin. They lack the manpower to enforce the Creed throughout the hive, and their attempts to purge the underthedrals have met with mixed success. For every unsanctioned shrine they close, two more spring up elsewhere. Volg is aware of this, and it frustrates him deeply. He has begun to rely more heavily on the Inquisition to root out heresy, a partnership that has yielded results but also sown fear and resentment among the populace.