Special Research Commission

The Special Research Commission, on it's public front, is an organization in Ostren dedicated to research of all kinds. While the membership of the Commission is indeed comprised of various types of researchers, experts, scientists, and learned wizards, the actual purpose of the organization is a secret known only to a few privileged: the Commission operates as Ostren's secret intelligence agency.

Public Agenda

Research

History

The Special Research Commission was formed by King Barnabas' father, Bernham, in an attempt to steer his family's legacy away from the warmongering reputation they had earned over the decades. The idea was to encourage the spread of new ideas and cultivate new knowledge by formally organization the learned minds of Ostren into a loose association and allow them to prosper by giving them diplomatic advantages to travel and access areas in Ostren that were otherwise restricted. In practice, members of the Commission ended up spread around many key parts of Ostren, including government, high society, and positions of influence in cities. Still beholden to the king for their privileges, their reports became useful to Bernham as intelligence on a variety of issues. Over time, the Commission grew into intelligence, espionage, and spying as a secondary mission to its publicly known image of research. This tradition was continued through the decades and into the reign of Barnabas.