Gendo Harwick
CEO and Owner of Harwick Trade Company
Born to Buckley and Gisa Harwick of Hi Ba, Gendo Harwick is the current CEO of Harwick Trade Company and the richest living person on Perradin. He is considered to be the most successful businessman in recent memory and has a reputation across Pillarin as one of the greatest innovative minds since the golden age of the Didacy. The powers-that-be of Sinderlan view him as a power to be reckoned with while the people and governments as a whole have widely adopted many of the products and inventions he has overseen the development of. Conversely, the elves of Lorthr'ten and the native inhabitants of Plentius view him apathetically due to the intrusive nature of company towns across Plentius.
Under his guidance, innovations such as the gem locator, the Harwick Astrolabe, and the self-repairing pipe have been introduced to the public. However, the greatest creation he is credited with is cited as Harwick Trade's line of magical partially automated sailing ships.
Despite conflicting opinions, Harwick has had a strong influence on the development of the economy of Pillarin and has enabled Hi Ba to become the heart of commerce in the region.
Early Life
Born in 9001, Gendo was the first of the 8th generation of Harwicks to own and control Harwick Trade. From an early age, Gendo exhibited an aptitude for magic as well as numbers far beyond what would be expected of his age. He was educated at the University of Bigton where he received his dual degree in finance and artifice at age 13 and was later sent to the Didacy where he received a degree in enchanting and became a certified Teleportation Technician at age 16. On his return to Hi Ba, he began working in the accounting department of Harwick Trade. His father, Buckley Harwick, famously sent Gendo on an expedition across Plentius, Sinderlan, and Pillarin at age 19 to search for new ways to help innovate and expand HTC's holdings. Very little is known of what happened during his travels, but rumors in the Didacian Consulate suggest he may have been present for the Chamber of Commerce Riots on Crush in 9023. When he returned at age 27, he demanded before the Harwick Board of Directors that his father be removed as CEO and owner on the basis that Buckley was exploiting its workers, especially those in Plentius. He was summarily denied. In Rekindling 9029, Buckley Harwick was killed on a big game hunt in the Hickerwick Wilds. Gendo, in accordance with Buckley's will, was given the title of CEO and owner of Harwick Trade. After a lengthy legal battle in the Hi Ba courts instigated by the Board members who opposed his leadership, Gendo officially became CEO.CEO of Harwick Trade
Immediately upon taking up the duties of CEO, Gendo encouraged the entire Board of Directors to retire and appointed a new set. The new Board was entirely made up of former dock workers, merchants, manufacturers, and leading scientists. With this new Board, Gendo tripled the base worker pay and expanded corporate benefits for those living in Plentius corporate towns. Worker unions and guilds were officially recognized, with which Gendo met with all in person, a practice he continues to do into the present. He instituted a policy of openness about company policy, and also vowed to ensure workers were protected and allowed to advocate for themselves. These actions shocked many investors and competitors alike, prompting immediate reactionary policies in competitors such as Gunkleton Industries to curb workers' rights in other regions of Pillarin. Gendo ordered a complete overhaul of the research and development department. He invested heavily in the creation of consumer products and advancements with military applications. Leading much of the development himself using his expertise in the field, he helped to create a new technology to magically crew ships with a fraction of the manpower. Other innovations credited to Gendo's personal work includes the self-repairing pipe for use in urban construction and the Harwick Astrolabe for celestial observation and navigation. It is believed by many that Harwick ordered the reverse engineering of Ren firearms in this time, which eventually bore fruit in the late 9040s. Many dozens of other innovations were developed and quickly made their way into consumer market, flooding the company with increased revenue. He renewed and expanded deals for land usage in Plentius for corporate towns, but was not well received by locals. The new agreements expanded the rights to flora and fauna surrounding corporate towns, which were considered until that time a protected resource of the locals. After heated negotiation, Gendo managed to establish a deal that granted the company access for half of the calendar year. Local Tabaxi and Lizardfolk, while mostly unwilling to concede, accepted the generous offer of permanent free medicinal supplies developed by Harwick Medical Division. In 9039, Gendo launched his flagship The Liar and the Visionary named after his favorite play by Faustus Kellodon of Dustedmanc. The ship is state of the art ship is the most advanced in the world, and currently sits in Hi Ba harbor. Powered by the greatest advancements in company history, it was a mobile symbol of Harwick innovation.Fen Invasion of Plentius
When Fen forces staged a surprise invasion of Harwick territory from their new garrisons on the island of Lorthr'ten in early 9042, the company towns of east Plentius quickly fell to the oncoming force. Because of the rough terrain and the dense foliage, the Fen forces were not capable of quick advancement. Gendo took the opportunity to order an immediate expansion of the corporate forces. With special dispensation from the Union of Free Cities, he ran recruitment drives to bolster the man power across Free Cities in the Hi Ba Lowlands and along the Cleomand Coast. With the rapid innovations the company had made in the previous decade, Harwick ordered all the forces to be equipped with state of the art weapons and equipment. The navy was fully equipped with the partially automated sailing ships outfitted for war. The old Harwick Distillery Grounds in Hi Ba became a fortress which housed training barracks. Gendo personally recruited the disgraced Deep Admiral Koloth to be Colonel of the armed forces. In 9043, Gendo deemed the rapid armament program to be a success after which he deployed a counter invasion from the west and north of Plentius. Gendo's forces achieved the first ever victories against a fully mobilized Fen force and stalled their advance at the Broken Hilt Mountains. Due to the advanced training and equipment Gendo had invested in, his forces managed to maintain a relative stalemate until early 9047 when the Lorthr'ten Revolution ended the Fen occupation of the island, after which, the front lines in Plentius collapsed. Gendo was credited with the major victory, which he publicly disavowed and directed the credit toward the soldiers of the Harwick Military Forces and the expertise of Colonel Koloth.Partnership with the Union
After the extensive victories the Harwick Corporate Forces achieved against the Fen forces in the Hickerwick Wilds, the Union of Free Cities took notice. In 9047, the Convention of Union made an official offer to Gendo and the Harwick Board for a set of official contracts for special military operations on mainland Pillarin. The lucrative contracts earned Gendo significant sway within the Assembly. In the 9047 election, Gendo's cousin, Luna Nestron-Harwick was appointed as chairwoman of the Convention of Union. Many viewed this as a clear sign of corruption, however many were willing to overlook the criticism due to the results HTC provided. After the Circlecrash and the subsequent success of the Circlecrash Offensive led by the Union of Free Cities, the Union opted to pass on additional HTC contracts. Gendo publicly stated that the Union was overextending itself without Harwick aid.
"Transparency doesn't mean anything if the container is full of shit."
-Gendo Harwick, ten minutes after his appointment to CEO
Current Location
Currently Boarded Vehicle
Species
Date of Birth
6 Bone's Chill
Year of Birth
9001 FFC
47 Years old
Birthplace
Hi Ba
Family
Children
Current Residence
Harwick Family Estate
Sex
Male
Eyes
Blue (Right), Green (Left)
Hair
Greying
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Fair
Owned Vehicles
Aligned Organization
Other Affiliations
Comments