Guardians of the Old Order

The Guardians of the Old Order are a fanatical sect entirely devoted to preserving and hoarding technology.

History
Little is known about the history of the Guardians. What is known is that they are an incredibly hostile and aggressive group focused on accumulating all artifacts of the past they can lay their hands on. Since the War, they have developed a reputation for being a hostile group that wipes out everyone foolish enough to come into range of their guns. Their obsession with technology was exploited by the Cochise AI, who manipulated them into creating Matthias and Dugan in the laboratories below the Citadel, to provide it with a synthetic shell to inhabit.

In 2087, Desert Rangers learned that the keys that would allow them to enter Base Cochise were held by a dangerous, xenophobic sect known as the Guardians of the Old Order, who were obsessed with preserving technology and keeping it out of the hands of the common people. When the Guardians responded to the rangers request for the keys with unnecessary force, the rangers assaulted their fortress, the Guardian Citadel. In the end, Hell Razor, Angela Deth, Thrasher and Snake Vargas battled their way to the Guardians' inner sanctum, uncovering a cache of power armor and a functional Attack Helicopter, which they flew to Base Cochise, wiping out the android patrols sent to destroy them and landing on the roof.

Matthias and Dugan emerged from the ruins and fled to California, vowing vengeance against the Rangers, at any cost.

Organization
The ranks are divided basing on role an experience. The rank-and-file members are just Brothers or Sisters. Higher ranking Guardians are referred to as Adepts, then Masters and finally, the highest rank is Cardinal. High ranking scholars are called Monks, while the overseers of the jail are Jailers and Wardens.

Their base of operations is a massive Citadel built into the side of a mountain in a valley in Nevada. The outer walls of the Citadel are made from obsidian and arch over the field in front of them like frozen waves. Watchtowers on their tops are patrolled by Guardians with energy weapons. Red flags mark the point beyond which Guardians stop warning and start shooting. Inside, most walls are carved from native rock, while the outer fortifications are antique and reinforced with layered stone.

Relations with the outside
They are extremely xenophobic, to the point of shooting dead anyone they perceive as infidel unworthy of wielding technology (eg. any non-Guardian). Unlike organizations that exist to find, maintain and use technology, the Guardians instead stock and almost worship it. They are obsessed with pre-War times to the point of carving excerpts from advertisements and junk mail into the walls of the Citadel.

Technology
They are one of the most powerful factions in the wastes, equipped with energy weapons and powered melee implements, such as the chainsaw or proton ax, with black powered armor suits being standard issue to all guardians.

The Guardians also hold the Quasar, Nova, Pulsar and Blackstar keys from Base Cochise that are essential to triggering the base's self-destruct system, indicating that they are in some way connected to the base.

Behind the scenes

 * The Guardians get their food and water from the outside, trading small amounts of their preserved technology for necessary supplies and tools. The red flags mark how close can the traders come before they will be shot at. The exchange occurs when the traders leave their stuff, backtrack, Guardians take the supplies and leave the technology in return.
 * Guardians are extremely xenophobic, but venture to the outside to gather more technology to preserve. Due to their aggressiveness, none lived long enough to tell anybody about their escapades.
 * The Guardians and the Brotherhood of Steel of the Fallout series share many similarities. Both preserve old technologies and are xenophobes, they are both descendants of the US military.