Knights of the Finders

Knights of the Finders, eh? A presumptuous name for a group that's going around sundering ghostly essences.
I know they have a false Death Mark they're using to tear spirits apart and send them to the Fields of the Condemned. Erse would have told me if she sanctioned a faction of the Finders to hunt down the viciously wayward for her. No, the only faelareign in the Evenacht who have that distinction are the Shades of Darkness, and they would not abuse their charge by hunting down an innocent.

--Verryn, Syimlin of Passion

Research:

Knights of the Finders

by our nervous hero,
Lorgan the Uneasy

In this Research Document:

all images by Shade Melodique
unless otherwise stated

The Knights

I was a Finder for a couple thousand years. I had never heard of the Knights until they arrived at a Shades of Darkness enclave in search of Vantra. They strike me as typical blustery Finders who think themselves above the commoner, but they have something normal pompous asses don't; a fake Death's Mark.
This is what separates Knights from other Finders, as far as I can tell. The ones we've met believe that Death gave them a Mark that allows them to sunder ghostly essences, send the heads to the Fields of the Condemned, and whisk the rest to the far reaches of the Evenacht, where they will wait for a Finder to find them during a Redemption.
They think they are completing important work, getting dangerous criminals out of the Evenacht proper and sending them to the Fields. The problem is, Verryn, who is Death's Consort, doesn't know who they are. And yes, I'm very, very certain Erse Parr would have told her consort about them.

Death's Mark is a mark on the palm that allows individuals to sunder a ghost's essence. The only sanctioned individuals who can use it are Death (of course), Darkness (as co-Judger), Passion (as consort), and the Shades of Darkness.
The Shades hunt down violent criminals, and sometimes, if they can't subdue them and get them to Death for Judgment, they will sunder them in the Field. These events are always described to Erse afterwards, and she can make another Judgment if she chooses.
Knights of the Finders don't seem to think that's necessary.

So we are dealing with an organization that's hunting Vantra and Laken that not even Death knew about (that sneakiness is troubling). They claim Vantra stole Laken from the Elden Fields and that they will not only return Laken to his punishment, but bring her to justice.
Vantra heard Laken's call for Redemption (a rare ability) and accepted his Redemption. She didn't 'steal' him (and even if she did, so what? I've taken my share of heads from the Fields to Redeem them after the Finders released me, and I never had a single member hunt me down for theft).

Who gave the Knights the Mark? This, by far, is the most pressing question. The Mark, when used improperly, can send a ghost to the Final Death rather than the Fields. I've seen no indication that the Knights we've encountered have a magical talent that lets them use the Mark properly, and no indication they won't misuse it out of anger (not one who accompanied Nolaris seemed bothered by his destructive use of it).

What We Know

We know the Knights are Finders and have a strange mission that doesn't reflect reality, and they think they have Death's permission to complete it (which they don't). In truth, that's about all we know of the Knights of the Finders. It isn't much to go on, and there are so many questions we need answers to.
We know they have titles named after weapons of war and defensive items (Spear, Shield, Sword, etc). They wear Finder green, but I don't think I've seen a badge or a symbol other than those Finder-related.
I'm nonplussed that I didn't know the Knights existed. I've been a Finder and Finder-adjacent for centuries. How could I have not heard of them? How many more are part of this faction?
Known Knights:

• Bregarde, Spear of the Knights
• Vulf Render (Knight's agent; henceforth referred to as VR)
• Lequorik, First Shield (and according to VR, a Finder Sage and the one in charge)
• Runt (nicknamed by VR, but he gave no name)
• Whip of the Knights (VR provided title, but no name, said Runt worked for him)
• Mimeriqette, Guardian Priestess (Qira told us she was the priestess who started the Light Gauntlet, so we know the kind of person they elevate
• Fyarazal (I knew him as a Finder, but we don't know his title)
• Makerid, Glaive of the Knights
• Neffala (assistant, Makerid)
• Nolaris (Finder Sage, but we don't know his Knight title)
• a sprite (no name or title, but he has manipulated his facial essence to the point he seems statuesque. Makerid took orders from him, so he's a leader among them)
• a human (no name or title, but she confronted us at Two Rivers as a Knight)

Bregarde is with the Shades of Darkness enclave in Lesarat. Hopefully they can pry more information from his lips about this organization.
I'm very curious to know if Æshren Gerant or Imparik know of the Knights, and if they sanction them. Both should know that Death hasn't given them her Mark, especially since they, too, claim that they do Death's will by Redeeming the Condemned. If they do know about the Knights, it means the Hallowed Collective's sanctioned their acts, and that's alarming, coming from the most respected ghostly organization in the Evenacht.