The Thomas' Men were an Inquisition organization under the Oculi Dei. They were founded in 1170 AD and officially became part of the Oculi Dei in 1225 AD.
Overview[]
An archbishop in exile needs eyes to watch his flock. When Thomas Becket fled to France to escape King Henry's wrath in AD 1170, he set to work building a network of loyal informants who could keep him abreast of events in England. The information that this network gave him allowed him to excommunicate those bishops and other clergy who continued to support Henry and carry out his orders, while at the same time spreading propaganda and ferrying messages for the exiled clergyman.
It is a tribute to the belief and loyalty to Rome that Becket engendered that the network continued after his demise. The battle between Church and king would not end with Becket's death and most likely would continue ever after Henry died, too, or so reasoned the men who had built the network for the archbishop. The following years proved them right.
Through the succeeding 60 years, the network has been busy growing and gathering information on all men and women of the Church whose loyalty they consider less than absolute. Some archbishops received information anonymously from the Men and some even knew of their existence, while others heard nothing throughout their time in office, depending on their relative loyalty to king and state. Secrecy had to be absolute, for of all the kings of England in that time, only Richard might have tolerated such a body not directly answerable to him. The papal advisors who dealt with King John's rebellion against Rome often found their arguments bolstered by information from an anonymous source.
It took nearly two decades before Thomas' Men became aware of the forces of the Devil within the Church. A member of the organization who was monitoring clergy in Durham was the first. He noticed a beautiful woman visiting several of the clergy, including the bishop, and leapt to an erroneous if entirely understandable conclusion. The Lord opened his eyes and he saw her for the blood-drinker she really was. In the next few years, a dozen Men started to see the Devil's creatures in their true forms. It was almost as if the Lord was paving the way for the Oculi Dei in the Isles....
The organization's inclusion in the Oculi Dei has been smooth so far. However, Simpkin Cotter, the current head of the organization, is used to acting without direct oversight and may yet start to chafe under the strictures of the Inquisition.
References[]
- DA: Dark Ages: British Isles, p. 37-38, 51, 104