Luna Nestron-Harwick

Luna Nestron-Harwick is the current crown princess of the Carnelian Empire and incumbent First Convener of the Convention of Union. She is beloved by millions of citizens of the Empire and the Union itself, viewed as an even-handed mediator, leader, and friend to the people. Her accession to the Carnelian Throne has been anticipated for years, and is already planned to be one of the most attended events in the history of Pillarin. Her reputation as a gentle and benevolent leader is complimented by her capacity for negotiation and mediation amongst both the members of the Carnelian Empire and representatives within the Convention of Union.  

Early Life

  As a Carnelian Dragonborn, she is the result of the union that included the sole Carnelian Dragon in existence, Nestron. Her birth was secured through a political alliance in 8980 with the Free City of Hi Ba in which Lila Harwick was selected to be a Queen Mother. Her mother, only a child at the time, was selected to become a Queen Mother as soon as she turned the age of 29. Her departure in 9017 was celebrated in the streets of Hi Ba as a sign that the Carnelian Empire was to finally fully open itself formally to the world once again. Her birth, likewise, was celebrated across all Free Pillarin. The political avenues opened by her birth resulted in the Harwick Trade Company being granted the ability to lease territory on the wild islands of Mino and Helketh to establish a company town on each of them.   Raised as a child within the walls of the hidden administrative city of Geal Sarentil, Luna exhibited many hallmarks of a natural-born empath according to one of her many biographies written by nannies. Capable of remarkable insight into intentions, she had the ability to bond with or insult individuals using their most intimate feelings. As she reached adolescence, she became known for sneaking out of the city to explore the islands of the Empire and mingle with its people while using magics to hide her true nature as a Carnelian Dragonborn. She would often cause mischief or help random citizens with odd jobs they needed doing during hard times. Through her early years of rebellion, according to many citizens, she became extremely endeared to people across the cities in the alliance. She later revealed her true nature to her newfound friends as she began her first duties as Crown Princess. As word of mouth spread of her exploits, her reputation exploded across the isles.     

Crown Princess

  As her half-brother Gordian Nestron Verclonix ruled the Empire and joined with the Union of Free Cities, Luna began her first projects in administering aspects of the alliance in 9036 at the age of 17. She served on several mediation committees between the various major and minor islands in the Empire. Her even temper, willingness to listen, and keen mind for compromise resulted in several historic agreements that have been viewed as groundbreaking for putting to bed long-held disputes. After her proven capability in mediation, she was given jurisdiction over the Office of Carnelian Well-being where she began a series of public works and humanitarian projects to improve the lives of the Empire's citizens.   Through her various programs, Luna was able to effectively reduce the poverty rate to below 1% and open the first publicly-owned shipyards in every major Free City in the Isles, as well as improve quality of life of citizens living in the wilds of Mino and Helketh in Harwick company towns. For her efforts, it is said that the dragon Nestron awoke briefly to bestow to her a gift at age 23. While the gifting ceremony was technically a secret event held within the hidden city of Geal Sarentil, it was widely publicized across the Empire and even the Free Cities. She emerged from her meeting with Nestron with a scroll adorned with dragon motifs, upon which were instruction to become the representative of the Empire to the Union of Free Cities.   Luna's arrival in mainland Pillarin was met with celebrations in the streets of Hi Ba and many of its neighboring free cities. As Luna traveled across Pillarin on a bi-annual basis in the 9040s to facilitate in her duties as the representative within the Union, she often brought with her gifts of the rare Castford goods such as cloth of the spidersilk tree, Carnelian Citrus, cured meats of local beasts, and a great amount of Castford Electrum which she would distribute to the commonfolk in great quantities. Her policies within the Convention of Union typically aligned with the interests of either the Carnelian Empire or the commonfolk of the Union at large. She proposed many improvements to the Imperial Highway to facilitate military movement as well as ease of passage for refugees.   In 9045 she proposed and forced through a bill guaranteeing universal rights for refugees fleeing the Fen in all member Free Cities. This new law catapulted her popularity to unseen heights across the continent. In response, many other members of the union proposed she be made First Convener of the Convention of Union. In a rare show of unity, the entire body voted unanimously to appoint her to the role in 9046.  

First Convener

  In her tenure as First Convener, Luna has brought unprecedented order and decorum to the Convention of Union. Her even head and firm will have led to many compromises thought previously to be near-impossible. She officially recognized the Cleomand Coast's right to import Ulanan Wine without first consulting the cities on Cord Ea Turin; she recognized the Free Dwarven Cities as the official producer of weapons and armor for the Union; and she has eased hostilities between the cities of Bigton and Hi Ba on multiple occasions. Despite her negotiating successes, she was met with regular military failures at the hands of the Fen. To respond to the military failures, she contracted with the Harwick Trade Company to place garrisons of their corporate armed forces in most borderland Free Cities. Critics have accused her of corruption due to cousin, Gendo Harwick, being the CEO of the company. Luna has denied such accusations, having only met him in person for the first time in 9046.   The Circlecrash in late 9047, which resulted in many thousands of deaths across the Free Cities and the destruction of a critical piece of global infrastructure, heavily wracked the Union. In the chaos that ensued, Luna ordered the Convention immediately re-consolidate all forces to the border. The improvements to the Imperial Highway allowed a quick transferal of troops to the border. Under advisement from other representatives, believing the catastrophe to be of Fen origin which occurred shortly before their assault on The Hammer, she launched what became known as the Circlecrash Offensive across all major borders. This offensive effectively pushed back the Fen borders for the first time in decades.   In 9048, following the Circlecrash Offensive, she traveled to Bigton in order to convene the next meeting of the Convention, only to be met with an incomplete Union Hall. While in Bigton, she received word that the Diocese of the Fen had sent a representative wishing to negotiate a ceasefire and permanent peace. Despite the incomplete Union Hall, Luna called an emergency meeting of the Convention's member cities, corporations, and alliances.