Misha, you should pause in developing this group for a time to consider where these folks were during the civil war that tore the Southern Midlands nearly in two during 707 CR when the Dupre family rallied the Follower nobles and the Guilford family rallied the Lothanasi nobles to their cause, while Duke Verdane had to corral his own nobles to put together an army big enough of crushing them both to bring the conflict to an end.
During that civil war, many Lothanasi villages were put to the torch, something that Bishop Ammodus had a hand in while under the Marquis's influence. Yet, nary a whisper of any Protectors were breathed in the tales of this time.
If you want to create a group such as this with so much reach and influence, then that is fine. But you need to ret-con them into the setting based on what has been established in the stories.
Dominus tecum