Decius was a young Bannor commander who was brought back from the front lines of fighting the Clan in order to protect the Bannor capital from The Burnt Priest and the Twisted Men. The Oathtakers Rosier and Valin Phanuel defeated this threat, and let some of the burnt priest's slaves go home after swearing an oath never to attack the good people again. They did, as they didn't really have a chance to defend themselves. Priests of the Order tracked them down to some Lanun port cities, and discovered that the Burnt Priest was a member of a new dark cult that had started there: The Octopus Overlords. They then ordered Decius to lead a crusade to wipe out this corruption. Rosier was still a great champion of the Order during this crusade, but his faith was wavering.
The Bannor successfully found and destroyed the place the cult originated, but by then an army of the Drowned were headed to the Bannor city of Cuantine and there was not time to get back in time to defend it. Rosier had seen that the Overlords' Speakers could walk on water when they put on a certain magic mask, and wanted to use this dark magic to get back faster to save the town. He was specifically ordered not to, and he disobeyed this order. Thus began Rosier's fall into evil, and Decius does not have the power to forgive him. He can choose to let him leave, or to order him to face punishment--an order which he will also disobey.
This will not sit well with Decius, who when he returns to his father's house has a nightmare about a talking snake taunting him about how poorly The Order rewards his valor. During his dream when he thinks he is strangling the snake, but in fact he has grabbed an Octopus Idol that was (somehow) under his bead. His father finds him holding this glowing idol, and thinks he has succumbed to demonic temptation and now worships the overlords. He calls for the Confessors to try his son, but after Decius saw how they treated Rosier he does not believe he will receive a fail trial, so he flees to the desert of Myrh. You can choose either to join the honest and noble Malakim nomads of the desert, or their Enemies the Calabim where your skill could lead to a life of worldly pleasures.
If you join the Calabim, you will be sent out to defeat a city of Hill Giants that have been terrorizing their lands. Once their you find some some prisoners, including a priest of Lugus. Your master Flauros is very displeased to find that Lugus is being worshiped again, as this god has a vendetta against vampires (because Alexis's first victim was a disciple of his), and has not been worshiped in the region for over 600 years. He calls introduces Decius to the Council of Esus, where he can find men who will teach him and his men to go out and kill as many disciples of Lugus as he can without revealing their nationality; Flauros is afraid to let anyone find out about his dark secret because then all good nations would join against him, but he also fears that the priests of the Empyrean will divine the secret and seek to destroy him if not stopped. After a long time fighting in secret, Decius convinces him to declare open war to try to wipe out the faith. The vampires just want to feast in secret, but Decius wants an Empire.
In Wages of Sin, open war has broken out between the Overcouncil and Undercouncil. Os-Gabella has managed to summon Hyborem, and Ethne the White has built the Mercurian Gate. The Undercouncil has agreed to give Decius the whole area around Tempus Mor, which would give him an empire nearly as large as that of the Bannor. He runs into Rosier again, who wants him dead but Os-Gabella won't let him. A Vampire Hnter under Decius's command finds Talia Gosam and is about to feed on her, but Decius stops him and takes her prisoner. He is surprisingly kind to her, immediately stating that she will be returned to her husband without a ransom as soon as he asks. In the meantime Decius comes to value Talia's advice and Talia comes to greatly respect Decius. Os-Gabella realizes that Talia may delay Decius's fall into darkness, but considers it worth it if the relationship between Decius and Talia could break Varn's heart. She encourages the rest of the council to abandon him, so he and Talia become closer and eventually consummate their relationship. When Varn finally sends to Talia, she has forgotten she was a prisoner and is sad to go. Os-Gabella (in disguise) meets Talia on her was home and tells her of how an adulterous wife (Eve)of an honorable man (Kyorlin) is the cause of the downfall of Patria and so many evils in the world. She then contact the powerful Demoness Lethe, Queen of Sorrows, to tempt her until she commits suicide. At the end of the scenario, Sidar assassins attempt to kill all the leaders. Decius easily disarms his assassin, but Ethe succumbs to a wound by a blade that sent her soul straight to the underworld and won't allow her to be resurrected. Flauros is impresseed by Decius, and offers his Dark Gift. Decius refuses, and insults Flauros by saying that immortality has make him soft, weak, and decadent. Flauros banishes Decius, but Os-Gabella hires him to find that blade used on Ethne, for it might help her kill herself.
If Decius had chosen to join the Malakim, he would have been on the other side of this war. He would be Varn's most trusted commander, who helped spread the Empyrean and found the Overcouncil. However, he still has doubts about the new faith, fearing that it may become as fanatical and intolerant as the Order. He is a practical man, which most of the Overcouncil consider a bad thing but which earns Talia Gosam's respect. She is a lonely woman, as her husband hasn't given her much attention since he began receiving visions from Lugus. She loves him and he loves her, but he finds his duty to his god more important and she grows increasingly desperate for attention. She seeks this in Decius, who is resistant since she is a married woman but who does come to return her feelings. Talia eventually forces herself of Decius, and he doesn't stop her. The Overcouncil ends up winning this time instead of the Undercouncil, but the infidelity and the assassinations still happen just the same.
Presumably in Against the Grey Decius will lead an attack on the mysterious Sidar whether he leads the Calabim or Malakim. This scenario isn't out yet, so we don't really know what happens. However, after this it seems that Decius will join Falamar, Rhoanna, and Capria in their attempt to stop the ascension of Auric, or, failing that, to get the Godslayer and kill the God of Winter for the second time.
(sorry). Besides, it will be nice to have another Decius discussions anyways...
