# Thomas Roch — Facing the Flag character guide > Thomas Roch in Facing the Flag by Jules Verne. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Roch **First appearance:** 0000-i-healthful-house ## Who they are A French inventor of a devastating secret weapon, whose brilliance flickers in and out of madness while pirates and governments circle his fulgurator. ## Relationships ### [Engineer Serko](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/facing_the_flag_se/characters/engineer_serko) _professional_ Engineer Serko acts as a manipulative overseer and technical handler of Thomas Roch, exploiting his genius. ### [Gaydon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/facing_the_flag_se/characters/gaydon) _friendship_ Gaydon, secretly a French agent, feigns friendship and care for Thomas Roch to gain his trust and thwart the pirates. ### [Ker Karraje](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/facing_the_flag_se/characters/ker_karraje) _professional_ Ker Karraje, the pirate captain, commands and controls Thomas Roch as a key asset for their criminal plans. ### [Simon Hart](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/facing_the_flag_se/characters/simon_hart) _professional_ Simon Hart, a pirate lieutenant, guards and monitors Thomas Roch, ensuring his compliance. ### [Ebba](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/facing_the_flag_se/characters/ebba) _psychological_ Ebba feels pity and a strange fascination for Thomas Roch, viewing him as a tragic figure trapped by her father. ### [Captain Spade](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/facing_the_flag_se/characters/captain_spade) _professional_ Captain Spade is a pirate officer tasked with transporting and securing Thomas Roch. ### [Lieutenant Davon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/facing_the_flag_se/characters/lieutenant_davon) _professional_ Lieutenant Davon is a pirate guard who routinely watches over Thomas Roch. ### [Engineer Serko](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/facing_the_flag_se/characters/engineer_serko) _professional_ Engineer Serko acts as a manipulative overseer and technical handler of Thomas Roch, exploiting his genius. ### [Gaydon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/facing_the_flag_se/characters/gaydon) _friendship_ Gaydon, secretly a French agent, feigns friendship and care for Thomas Roch to gain his trust and thwart the pirates. ### [Simon Hart](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/facing_the_flag_se/characters/simon_hart) _professional_ Simon Hart, a pirate lieutenant, guards and monitors Thomas Roch, ensuring his compliance. ### [Lieutenant Davon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/facing_the_flag_se/characters/lieutenant_davon) _professional_ Lieutenant Davon is a pirate guard who routinely watches over Thomas Roch. ### [Gaydon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/facing_the_flag_se/characters/gaydon) _friendship_ Gaydon, secretly a French agent, feigns friendship and care for Thomas Roch to gain his trust and thwart the pirates. ## In the story ### [Healthful House](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/facing_the_flag_se/chapters/i-healthful-house) A French inventor of genius, now mentally unstable, confined to Pavilion No. 17 at Healthful House. He is obsessed with his fulgurator invention and guards its secret even in his madness. ### [Count d'Artigas](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/facing_the_flag_se/chapters/ii-count-d-artigas) The mad French inventor, obsessed with his fulgurator, refuses to sell his secret for less than billions and exhibits signs of an impending fit. ### [III: Kidnapped](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/facing_the_flag_se/chapters/iii-kidnapped) The target of the kidnapping; is incapacitated by a fit and lies on a sofa in the pavilion. ### [The Schooner Ebba](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/facing_the_flag_se/chapters/iv-the-schooner-ebba) The missing inventor; the search of the Ebba fails to locate him. ### [V: Where Am I?](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/facing_the_flag_se/chapters/v-where-am-i) Fellow captive; Simon deduces he was also kidnapped, likely for his fulgurator secret. ### [On Deck](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/facing_the_flag_se/chapters/vi-on-deck) The inventor, visibly mad; fails to recognize Simon Hart, becomes agitated by the ship's movement, and suffers a violent fit. ### [Two Days at Sea](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/facing_the_flag_se/chapters/vii-two-days-at-sea) The kidnapped inventor; suffers a fit and is attended by Hart; his fulgurator is the likely motive for the kidnapping. ### [Back Cup](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/facing_the_flag_se/chapters/viii-back-cup) Mentioned as being placed in a similar compartment to Hart during the transfer into the tug. ### [X: Ker Karraje](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/facing_the_flag_se/chapters/x-ker-karraje) Mentioned as the inventor of the fulgurator, which Ker Karraje seeks to obtain. ### [XI: Five Weeks in Back Cup](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/facing_the_flag_se/chapters/xi-five-weeks-in-back-cup) His mental condition improves; he is kept away from Hart and is being courted by Serko to reveal his fulgurator formula. ### [Engineer Serko's Advice](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/facing_the_flag_se/chapters/xii-engineer-serko-s-advice) Works in his laboratory preparing the explosive; has not yet revealed the deflagrator's secret. ### [God Be with It](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/facing_the_flag_se/chapters/xiii-god-be-with-it) Works in his laboratory; his fulgurator is used to blast the tunnel. ### [Battle Between the Sword and the Tug](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/facing_the_flag_se/chapters/xiv-battle-between-the-sword-and-the-tug) The inventor; is rescued from captivity but remains bound during the escape attempt. ### [XV: Expectation](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/facing_the_flag_se/chapters/xv-expectation) Survived the collision and has returned to work in his laboratory; his fulgurator engines are being installed for defense. ### [Only a Few More Hours](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/facing_the_flag_se/chapters/xvi-only-a-few-more-hours) Remains deluded, believing he is the rightful owner of Back Cup and its treasures, refusing to accept that he is a prisoner of pirates. ### [One Against Five](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/facing_the_flag_se/chapters/xvii-one-against-five) Initially launches engines to destroy a cruiser; refuses to fire on the French ship upon seeing the tricolor; crushes the phial and flees into the passage. ### [On Board the Tonnant](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/facing_the_flag_se/chapters/xviii-on-board-the-tonnant) Moved by the sight of the tricolor flag, he deliberately caused the explosion that destroyed Back Cup, himself, and Ker Karraje's pirates. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/facing_the_flag_se/characters/thomas_roch - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/facing_the_flag_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/facing_the_flag_se/characters