The Seekers of the Key are a monastic order devoted to finding the secrets of the mysterious Odin's Gate. The order is divided into two Sects, the Discovery Sect and the Defenders Sect. The Discovery Sect is comprised of scholars and researchers, and is the Sect that is devoted to uncovering any Secrets the Gate holds. The Defenders Sect is comprised of heavy-armor clad warriors, wielding special-made shields as weapons, created in the image of the Gate. The Defenders are primarily charged with keeping away those who would do harm to the Order, or any of the various beasts and monsters that call the mountains their home.
Discovery Sect: The Discovery Sect is divided into 4 main ranks and 2 specialties. Upon joining, you are inducted as an Initiate, training under an Acolyte and learning the ways of the order. If you are kept around for a full year, you are promoted to an Acolyte, a full-fledged member of the order. After some sort of thesis-like discovery or contribution of some sort of research/knowledge and 5 years of service, you are promoted to a Brother or Sister of the order. There is one Master in each of the specializations, serving until death. The Master is required to have been a Brother or Sister for 10 years before they are eligible for election upon the previous Masters death. Upon promotion to Acolyte, you choose either Research (researching the Gate directly) or Fervor (spreading the knowledge gained and recruiting new members). The two specialties are organized the same way, with the specialty added to the end of your title, ie "Sister of Research" or "Acolyte of Fervor".
Defenders Sect: The Defenders are organized more simply, with the ranks being numeric with any necessary addendums such as "3rd of Training" or "2nd of Smithing". When someone is recruited, they are inducted as an Initiate, and begin their training. Once the 2nd in charge of them deems them ready, they are given a graduation ceremony whereby they are promoted to 4ths. After they have been in the order for a full year they spar with the current 1st, and if the 1st determines they are ready, they are given a promotion to a 3rd. Once they reach this rank, they are granted a set of the orders distinctive heavy black armor, ornamented similarly to the Gate. They also begin training with a 2nd, who instructs them in the use of the orders distinctive weapon and its' associated fighting style. This weapon is a modified tower shield, painted black and decorated similarly to either the left or right door of the Gate. Choosing the left or right door is a grave matter to many of the Sect, who often have good-spirited debates about the values of each. After serving in this position for 5 years, they are promoted to a 2nd. They are held at this position until the 1st either retires or passes, after which point the most experienced 2nd is promoted to 1st. The 1st serves to run the order until they decide they are too old to fight or they die.
Post-Cataclysm: The order was unfortunately devastated in a vicious attack by a trio of Frost Giants. Morrow's Shield fortunately arrived before everyone in the order had died, leaving a single Acolyte of Research and 3 badly beaten 2nds left standing. After the mystery of the Gate was solved, their honorary leader Kiro Grey (the honored Monk of Morrow's Shield) had restructured the organization, assigning them a new role taking care of the Gate and educating visitors. Once the handful of members who were venturing abroad returned, they were re-formed into the new Seekers of the Key. The order is a fading spark of what it once was, barely recruiting enough members to keep their monastery running.