Jerulius Rovalan

The younger son of a merchant vintner, Jerulius Rovalan joined the Empire navy as a Midshipman sponsored by his uncle. He was a junior officer aboard the Empire warship Renown. He became captain of the renamed Black Rat after leading the mutiny which freed the crew from the other Empire officers' oppression.

During the Gathering 1105, Rovalan's behaviour became more and more erratic. This was finally diagnosed as madness rather than demonic possession as had been feared. What was certain, however, was his betrayal of the crew, having vanished with the Second Lieutenant and stealing the ship!

Rovalan became completely delusional. He managed to sink the Lady Katya (as he renamed the Black Rat) by running it on to rocks. He then resorted to wholesale murder, hijacking soft targets and burning them with all still aboard. The Black Rats were determined to get revenge with Lugus sworn to kill him. Rovalan cheated Lugus of this when he took his latest vessel, the Acheron, up against the notorious pirate Blackbeard two months before The Gathering 1106. Neither Rovalan or the Acheron survived that encounter, though some of her crew did, it is heard.