Thomas the Rat

Thomas the Rat was a Nosferatu spymaster in medieval London. He is a walker on the Road of Humanity.

Biography

Orphaned when only six years old, young Thomas eked out a living on the streets of London, running messages for the city’s merchants and stealing his fill from the markets of the East Cheap and Billingsgate. He learned the city’s alleys and byways, discovering nooks and crannies that few adults knew existed, his ability to worm his way into buildings quickly earning him the nickname of “the Rat.” It was a harsh life and Thomas relied on his quick wits and agility to survive. The larger boys sought to take what little food he stole for himself and Thomas had to avoid their attentions or else face a horrible beating. Even as a child, Thomas was observant and soon learned how to spot easy targets and those who were liable to beat him if they caught him.

He was perhaps eight years old when he saw the twisted man for the first time, marveling that an adult could be so stealthy. Thereafter he saw the figure at various points around London, only to come under observation in return. Eventually, the man spoke to Thomas, offering him food scraps in exchange for his observations. It was the start of a long relationship between Thomas and the Nosferatu known as Richard de Worde. Already adept at skulking and spying, the boy became one of de Worde’s eyes and ears in the city, feeding information to the Nosferatu first as mortal agent and then, once he had reached adulthood, as a ghoul. As the Anarchy wracked England, Thomas learned of the war raging behind the scenes between an ancient vampire lord and Norman usurpers. De Worde worked with the ancient and when this Mithras became unquestioned master of the city, the prince offered de Worde any reward he desired. He chose to Embrace the man who had been his agent for so many years, and so Thomas’ mortal life ended.

Lacking his sire’s social graces and desire to move among the city’s upper echelons (or his haughty manners), Thomas maintains his connections to the guttersnipes and lowlifes of the docks — his main haven is near Billingsgate — which serves both he and de Worde well. Thomas maintains a clear domain within the city, playing a vital role in the spymaster’s network by observing the comings and goings at the docks. Like all of London’s Nosferatu, Thomas is polite and civil, frequently being the first Cainite encountered by visitors to the city. His only problem is the city’s Nosferatu crime lord, Ragged Jenny, who is Thomas’ main rival for domain over the underclass that surrounds the docks.

Trivia

  • There are conflicting accounts of Generation between Thomas and his sire, due to Richard de Worde's introduction into V5. Thomas is described as 9th in Dark Ages: British Isles, and his sire is described as 7th in Fall of London, when his sire should be 8th. The only logical explanation that one can assume is that Richard diablarised some unknown vampire at some point after he embraced Thomas.

Reference

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