Father Thomas

Amicia: *The Inquisition came, and they...*
Father Thomas: *I can imagine. But what is happening here is far worse.*[[Source: "Retribution"|[src]]]
Father Thomas tries to warn Amicia of the danger

**Father Thomas** is a minor character in *A Plague Tale: Innocence*.

He is a French monk and the head of a church in a village near the de Rune estate.

## Biography

### Background and Early Life

Before the de Rune children arrived in the nearby village in November 1348, Thomas led his church for an unknown time leading up to the devastating events of the story, and also seems to know the de Rune family. As his fellow monks either fled or died off, they tried to help the sick in the hospice where he likely met Laurentius. They also kept busy demolishing the furniture in the church to make firewood and makeshift barricades to try and keep the rats away. By the time the children meet him, he and Brother Morel are the only ones left.

### Death

*They ate him, Amicia! They ate him!*[src]
Hugo witnesses the priest's death

Having been directed to the church by Clervie in their search for Laurentius, Amicia de Rune and her brother Hugo enter the church and encounter Thomas in the inner courtyard chopping wood, where he sternly warns them away and goes inside. They follow him further into the church and he warns them away again but notices the de Rune coat of arms on their pendants. When they mention the doctor, he recognizes the name and agrees to guide them out of the church via an underground passage called the Crypt of the Three Saints to avoid the hostile villagers outside. Along the way; however, he hints at the outbreak that has struck the village and warns them to not stray from the light.

They come into the passage after a time, and Father Thomas gives Amicia the torch so he can search for his fellow monk, Brother Morel. Suddenly there is a gust of wind that blows out the candles and he is caught in the open, now dark hallway as a horde of Rats emerges from the tunnel. Unable to quickly get away because of his limp, and with Amicia frozen in horror, he is quickly but painfully devoured, collapsing as the rats swarm up his body, stripping all of the meat from his bones in seconds.

Thankfully, the torch he had given Amicia and the efforts he and the other monks had undertaken to create safe places with torches, braziers, and firewood throughout the tunnels would allow Amicia and Hugo to escape the tunnel and continue on their journey.

## Physical Appearance

Father Thomas is a frail, older man with a tonsure haircut: the top of his head is shaven leaving the sides to grow. His face is dirty, unshaven with stubble, and haggard, with various marks indicating injury in his past. He wears the typical simple, ragged, brown monk's habit, with a cord around his waist and sandals on his feet.

In addition to his battered external appearance, he walks with a noticeable limp that limits him to a very slow hobble.

## Personality

While a flighty, nervous man, Father Thomas is shown to be kind and compassionate as many monks are. Initially unwilling to help the children, it was for their own safety that he wanted them to leave as he was well aware of the threat of the rats. Upon learning who they were and that Hugo needed Laurentius' help, he quickly agreed to help.

Like many monks he was also very peaceful, and did not approve of Conrad and the villager's violent way of dealing with the plague, calling them "mad".