The Decimari

"Building Better Worlds"

- Agency Motto The Decimari are an elite counter-terrorism agency based in Mistral which serves to protect the kingdom's national security. While having initially been a branch of the kingdom's law enforcement, they have since separated themselves from governmental management and have become an almost entirely independent group that carries the full weight of the law.

History
The agency was created eighty-seven years before the events of RWBY, having been designed by the Mistralian government as a form of law enforcement in order to suppress public support for self-expression and liberty during the Great War. Originally named the Ultrice Agency, it carried a dark reputation for being merciless in their pursuit of uniformity and the upholding of the law.

When the Great War ended the Ultrice Agency became redundant, and due to the government's desire to separate themselves from the atrocities of the agency and the events of the war the group came close to being shut down. However, several key politicans and military leaders succeeded in keeping the agency operations by stressing the value of the group's resources and advanced technology borrowed from Atlas. As a compromise, the agency was detatched from the government's sphere of influence and made practically independent - although it was subject to strict observation by council-appointed inspectors.

The Ultrice Agency focussed its resources at upholding the law by targeting dangerous factions and organisations in Mistral. Even when not believed to be illegal in nature, any group considered by the agency's commander - the 'General' - to be a negative presence in the kingdom was investigated and usually broken up for one reason or another.

Ten years prior to the events of RWBY the Ultrice Agency's key figureheads, along with their General, were effectively overthrown by a popular and influential agent named Dracul Decemor - more commonly known by his agent name of 'Vlad'. Once in control Vlad drastically reorganised the agency and used his political connections to reduce governmental oversight while simultaneously boosting the group's authority. The group was renamed the 'Decimari' and reinvented themselves as protectors of the kingdom. Initial popular support for the agency's effectiveness at tackling organised crime further increased Vlad's power. The agency left the public a few years later, with the group choosing instead to conceal their movements and divulge in secrecy.

Organisation
While having once been a commonplace name in Mistral, the Decimari have since fallen out of view. As a result finding willing and able applicants has become a defining problem for the agency. It is therefore a small group, with only around 200 members worldwide - the majority of whom are support staff and are not trained for combat. Every agent is required to take on a new name upon enlistment.

All members of the Decimari are considered 'agents' of the organisation, and are separated into different groups depending on their role. These include:

Prime Agents
Often refered to as 'Primers', these agents are typically seen as support staff who carry out the behind-the-scenes work of the agency. This often includes assisting front-line operatives and general administrative duties. These workers are not considered particularly important, even though they carry out essential tasks.

Investigators
Investigators are exactly as their name implies. Trained in various forms of combat, these agents are responsible for rooting out criminal activity in seemingly innocent organisations. Similar to detectives, they are essential in suppressing organised crime which require subtlety and legal fronts for cover.

Vanguards
Commonly nicknamed 'Cyclopses', Vanguards are the combat agents of the Decimari. They are named after the Vanguard Mk.2 Atlesian armour they are equipped with, and carry various weapons depending on their speciality due to many of the agents being former Huntsmen and Huntresses. Agents who do not have a particular speciality are usually equipped with large shields and either SMGs or swords depending on their situation. Their dark armour consists of thick bulletproof plates, and every agent wears a distinctive black helmet with a dark purple visor which gives them their name.

Skaven
Skaven are the lowest members of the Decimari, and are made solely of dangerous criminals salvaged from Frostbite Asylum. They are the latest source of manpower for the agency, and serve as mere footsoldiers sent to fight and die when needed. Given old Vanguard Mk.1 armour and their weapons of choice, they do not recieve any formal training and are given a Vanguard agent overseer. To keep them in line, every Skaven is implanted with an artificial pacemaker on their heart which is designed to cease functioning if the member goes rogue, killing them instantly. This form of blackmail is one of the many latest developments which the Decimari keep to themselves.

Notable Members

 * Vlad - known as 'The General', Vlad commands absolute authority and respect from within the Decimari. Also regarded as the most powerful agent, his political and business relations keeps the Decimari away from scrutiny. He manages the agency from his mobile fortress - The Fulcrum
 * Rellik - Vlad's Second-in-Command. Having previously retired from the agency, Rellik returned after the Fall of Beacon in order to convince the General to assist in the restoration of order in Vale. He is regarded as the second most powerful agent
 * Caan - known as Captain Caan, he commands the Decimari's flagship aircraft - the Starkiller. Considered one of the agency's strongest fighters
 * Shields - known as Commander Shields, she is Captain Caan's Second-in-Command and is Bridge Commander of the Starkiller airship
 * Doc - while not officially a member of the Decimari, Doc works alongside the agency as a technological pioneer, and who aims to find a way to upgrade humans
 * Smiler - the latest addition to the Skaven. Smiler is subject to severe experimentation at the hands of Doc but has been restored to a useful (if still unstable) state of mind. Although initially unwilling, Smiler and the Decimari eventually negotiated that he would be released as a free man in exchange for 1000 souls - either by saving those of the innocent, or taking those of the guilty

Presence in Remnant
The Decimari have three main bases of operation in Remnant, and these are as follow:

The Fulcrum
The mobile fortress of the Decimari - The Fulcrum is a large battleship situated off the east coast of Mistral which serves as the agency's main base of operations, as the group does not have any permenant bases on the mainland. The battleship has all the required facilities - including even a small training ground and indoor swimming pool - although most training of agents is outsourced to specialised institutions. It is very well protected with a nigh-impenetrable hull as well as defensive weaponry designed to combat Grimm from sea and sky.

The Starkiller
The Decimari's primary presence outside of Mistral. The Starkiller is a relatively small but powerful aircraft with a permenant crew of roughly fifty agents. The Starkiller is named after the ship's destructive vanguard cannon, which is capable of levelling skycrapers with a single shot. Most operations are carried out from the Starkiller, as it allows for deployment to practically anywhere.

Frostbite Asylum
While not technically belonging to the Decimari, the asylum's director is firmly under Vlad's control, and has since been given over to Doc. Frostbite Asylum is situated in northern Vale, and is where many of Remnant's worst criminals are sent with a life sentence. The Decimari use it as a recruitment ground for Skaven, as well as a testing facility for Doc's latest cybernetic experiments. The hellish conditions of the asylum are effective at gathering willing and fearsome agents ready for a second chance.

Trivia

 * all artwork (except the symbol) is not mine and belong to their original creators
 * the word 'skaven' was derived from 'Sklavin', meaning 'slave' in German. Coincidentally, this is also the name of a race of intelligent humanoid rats
 * The faction theme is Building Better Worlds by Aviators