The Ponatowski Foundation is a scientific research society based in Warsaw. Its stated goals are similar to that of the Aeon Society for Gentlemen, but the Ponatowski Foundation serves as a front for the Czar and several other more nefarious figures.
History[]
According to its official history, the foundation began in 1902 as the Slavic Scientific Foundation. Funded by Eastern European aristocrats, the SSF's stated purpose was to promote scientific exploration of the hinterlands of the Russian Empire. In its first decade, the SSF funded over a dozen such expeditions, sending explorers deep into Siberia, the Gobi Desert, and to the bottom of the Black Sea.
In 1912, the Foundation moved from Moscow to Warsaw and changed its name to the Ponatowski Foundation. This move coincided with a shift in focus to include expeditions into Africa and South America as well as Russia. Unlike the previous expeditions, these ventures never published any reports publicly; the foundation claims the records were lost in the war.
During World War I, the foundation theoretically shut down its operations, though there are strong rumors that it was involved in smuggling wealthy Russians out of the country around the time of the October Revolution. In 1919, it officially reopened, and its attempts to direct funds to the White Russians during the civil war suggest its resources had expanded considerably.
Since 1923, the Foundation has resumed publication of its journal, but the accounts of its expeditions are clearly missing key details. Max Mercer and Benjamin Dixon believe the Foundation is concealing its most important findings on purpose, though they can't speculate as to what end.
Activities[]
The Ponatowski Foundation will fund almost any venture that catches its attention, though it seems particularly interested in looking for evidence of ancient civilizations such as Atlantis.
When dealing with local authorities, the foundation is not above threats, extortion or bribery in order to get their way. Quite independent of their scientific goals, the foundation seems to have a political agenda it advances wherever it is active. Sarah Gettel suspects the Foundation is a front for the Czar, a revanchist Russian aristocrat who wishes to re-establish a global empire.
References[]
- TU: Adventure! d20, p. 34-35