Antoninus Decius

From Scandia

Antoninus Decius
The Emperor in state
Born	1332 Somewhere near Taeropolis
Died	12 May 1402 Valans
Occupation	Politician
Emperor of Valania
In office 1 November 1377 - 12 May 1402
Preceded by	None
Succeeded by	None

Antoninus Decius is perhaps the most remarkable figure in all of Valanian history. Born a peasant in North Taeroc, which was at the time one of the poorest provinces in Valania, he eventually rose through his outstanding ability and overwhelming charisma to become one of the most powerful men in the world.

Early Life

As a young man, Decius endured hardship after hardship in his famine-struck home, until at last, at the age of sixteen, he and his two brothers were forced to leave their homes and enrol in the Third Sea Legion, solely to be guaranteed a daily ration of food. The virtue of the Sea Legions is that any man, however junior, can aspire to the rank of legate. To a man of Antoninus Decius's skill, this was clearly possible and eventually, in 1370, he finally became a senior officer after using his small ship to lure a pair of stolen ships of the line onto the shoals north of Ostiae.

Political career

It was at this point, with the possibility of high rank available to him, that Antoninus quit the Legions and stood as senator for North Taeroc. The coastal province had suffered terribly from the ravages of the pirates and was all too willing to vote for him. This gave Decius a foothold on power, but he was to show that even this was not enough for him. After six years, the old Consul died, and his post was up for grabs. In those days, the new Consul was chosen by the Patriarch, and who better to control the Senate than the promising senator for North Taeroc? In this, the lazy Patriarch made a big mistake.

Within a year, the power-hungry Decius had succeeded in turning the people against the corrupt clergy that ruled them. By October 1377, their hatred was ignited into open rebellion. In fear for his life, the Patriarch hid inside the Basilica as mobs roamed through the streets. But the mobs were repulsed by the Patriarch's elite troops, and a company was sent to arrest Decius and bring him back in chains. Unfortunately Decius had the rest of the legions on his side. The company was ambushed and their place taken by Decius's loyal men.

And so it was that, after leading the "captured" Consul into the Basilica, Decius' troops proceeded to massacre the surprised churchmen, including the Patriarch himself. Subsequently, Decius was acclaimed as emperor by the soldiers outside.

Reign as emperor

Antoninus Decius was not one to take chances with his enemies. The Church was thrown out of the country, not to return until after his death. He then set about expanding his newfound empire, promising to restore its greatness to that of the ancient empire. In this task he ultimately failed, but he still achieved a great deal for Valania. The steaming jungles of Labella felt the tread of the legions once more; war, though unsuccessful was waged northwards. Decius proved to be just as good a leader on land as well as at sea, and frequently led his troops personally.

In 1399, the ageing emperor took advantage of the decay of the Turian Empire to invade. By the next year he had succeeded in conquering a large chunk of the country, which became known as Civitas (later Schwerdt). However, by this time Decius' health was in fast decline, and he died in 1402, aged 70. In his will, he commaded that the Church's rule be reestablished. Historians have debated for many years over why he did this, and the general consensus is that Decius had realised what an absolute emperor could do to a nation, and feared lest the wrong man should become emperor.