Inspired by Cult of Personality by Living Colour
Origins
Much of this information is easily available in public archives of educational and business licenses, with several notes and context being added by small interactions with members of the group.
The origins of the Collective of Positive Personalities are fairly well recorded, though some steps and motivations of its growth are unknown or debated. Their current leader and founder, the CoPP's Director of Positive Positioning Sanvien Cantaro began the CoPP in its current form roughly five years ago, but its origins actually begin a number of years before that.
Sanvien Cantaro was born in the south of
Casarei in a small village just outside of the harbour town of the Fallow Shales. Not much is known about Cantaro's early life in this village, but it is recorded that he would eventually be trained as an apothecary and open his own shop in the Fallow Shale in his early twenties. Less than five years later, Cantaro's apothecary business would not renew its operations license and would be noted as permanently out of business in local records. No known records of Cantaro's actions or whereabouts would be noted for another two decades. But rumours and gossip suggest that he would spend these decades travelling the world, and would form much of his opinions on mental health and theories on the power of positivity during this time.
Cantaro would suddenly reappear nearly twenty years later, this time in the Kingdom of Heldrin. Once there he travelled to the capital of Sumner and would at haste apply for a business license to open a new apothecary shop in a small poor and underserved neighbourhood of the city. In this new shop, Cantaro would primarily serve his new clientele with discount medicine and medical advice free of charge. However, these services were not the only thing he would offer. He would also offer a service rarely seen in Heldrin, group therapy sessions. He would offer this to those he saw struggling with their daily lives, especially those he diagnosed with what he called Chronic Negative Positioning. Which Cantaro described as a buildup of negative emotions within the body and mind that lead to all sorts of physical and mental ailments.
During the first few years of this apothecary shop, Cantaro would build up a large clientele, and people from closeby neighbourhoods would begin using his services in droves. Especially these group therapy sessions, which grew to occur several times a day instead of just once a week. It is also alleged that during this time Cantaro would begin prescribing various forms of psychedelics to his clients, something that technically isn't illegal in Sumner due to a bureaucratic loophole that allows for a licensed apothecary to prescribe nearly anything they wish as long as it is in service to a paying client. These psychedelics would include dozens of variations in the forms of tonics, powders, drops, potions, and the like. Each, according to Cantaro, serving as an appropriate remedy for a variety of mental and physical ailments caused by the so-called Chronic Negative Positioning he purported to be an expert on. In the few public conversations, he has held Cantaro has alluded that formed the basic theories of Chronic Negative Positioning during his decades of travel across the world. Picking up a variety of medical knowledge and treatments for it along the way.
By the end of his fifth year of business Cantaro's clientele had grown large enough that Cantaro had amassed significant wealth. So much so, he decided to take the big step forward in his fight against negativity. He would go on to purchase a large parcel of land within the city, a rarity as real estate is in short supply, managed to snatch up the land by outbidding all other developers by leveraging his own wealth with several large donations made by his loyal clients. This new purchase would include several buildings of various sizes that stretched several city blocks. Now Cantaro could greatly expand his services and officially began publically spreading his personal doctrines of the importance of eradicating negative emotion buildup by practicing positive positioning and strict emotional restraint. This is where the Collective of Positive Personalities would officially begin.
Cantaro, now calling himself the collective's Director of Positive Positioning would launch a new, and expansive, program that would encourage his clients to permanently move into his compound. Here, his new initiates would follow his strict emotional control doctrines and guided group experiences induced by psychedelics in order to help strip them of any negative emotion and/or buildup. Over the following five years since the opening of the compound, the CoPP has grown in numbers significantly now having several hundred members living on the compound. Their practices have become more and more cultish with members now wearing brightly coloured robes and initiates being forced to wear a disturbing smiley face mask at all times. A strict hierarchy has also formed with Cantaro sitting at the top as the Director of Positive Positioning. Many have noticed an increase in the collective's bizarre actions, with many members now wandering the streets of nearby neighbours handing out pamphlets and pushing the teachings of Cantaro to non-members. The group's tonal changes from a mere apothecary shop and therapy group to a huge cult-like collective that following a religious-like doctrine is apparent.
Hierarchy
Positivity Initiates
The lowest and most populous group of people in the CoPP are the Positivity Initiates. These new members spend most of their time learning the proper ways and teachings of the organization with a focus on learning how to expel negative emotions and showing only a bright and cheery exterior.
The newest members are mostly kept away from the public and are subjected to a three-month isolation period away from all others. They are kept here for three months, or until they are deemed to be properly educated in the code and doctrines of the group.
Once they are free of this isolation they are each given masks, emblazoned with a large smiling face on the front which they must wear at all times and may only remove whilst sleeping. This is to hide any negative cracks that may appear in their mood. Even the more experienced of the Positivity Initiates must wear their masks at all times.
However, after a year of learning and the blessing of the Head Correctional Attitude Coach, the Positivity Initiate may join their assigned Personality Coaches in spreading the CoPP's message to the general populace of Sumner and the surrounding villages of Heldrin.
Most, if not all, groups of initiates that leave the group's compound must be chaperoned by at least one assigned Personality Coach to ensure they are on their best behaviour and that they are not swayed by the avarice and negativity of the streets and people of the city and outside world. If, for whatever reason, the initiate breaks and shows signs of negativity a variety of things may occur.
Because they are initiates the repercussions of emotional breaks are less severe, with most instances being met with required additional education and mentorship. And often includes additional group therapy and a regime of mind-altering psychedelics. In extreme cases of severe emotional breaks, the initiate may be sent back to isolation and have a more strict and intense regimen of education and drugs assigned to them.
No matter how bad the situation though, members are never kicked out of the collective and are always encouraged to stay.
Personality Coaches
These are the individuals that sit above the Positivity Initiates acting primarily as their mentors, and are the second most populated group within the CoPP. These coaches have been proven to be trustworthy and in control of their negative emotions, having nearly rid themselves of all negativity and able to keep a positive outlook and outward appearance almost all of the time.
The Personality Coaches are primarily given the duties of teaching and supervising initiates, leading psychedelic experiences, spreading doctrines, and acting as personal coaches for initiates that may be struggling to express themselves of negative thoughts and emotions. They also hold a variety of administrative tasks keeping the day-to-day business of the CoPP running, including running a publically accessible apothecary business that allows people to order medicine and have it delivered to their door. This is a business that still operates under the original license Cantaro acquired numerous years ago. And of course, via several loopholes, is a completely legit business, though the CoPP apparently runs on a fine line with city officials.
The coaches are also given special responsibilities given to them by their superiors, which often includes procuring a variety of supplies for the growing collective.
Personality Coaches don't often show any sort of sour mood and are able to keep a bright and cheery mood most of the time. However, for the moments in which they may still fall victim to negativity, they have several tools at their disposal to ensure their minds do not reenter a state of Chronic Negative Positioning.
One of these tools is a mask that is similar to those of the Positivity Initiates, adorned with a toothy smiling face the suffering coach may don this mask to remind themselves to keep a positive appearance even in times of internal struggle. If they do don this mask, however, the coach must attend mandatory isolation and positivity realignment therapy before they may rejoin their fellow coaches and begin their duties once again.
They also always have the collected doctrines of their leader and the CoPP on hand at all times and read from them often, especially to those who are willing to listen to them. Personality Coaches are also given permission by the CoPP, to handle and 'prescribe' a variety of psychedelic drugs which they can administer to themselves or to other members at their discretion. Many of these individuals are not licensed medical professionals, but the city doesn't seem to find them enough of a threat to stop them from carrying around such drugs.
Head Correctional Attitude Coach - Madelynn Vear
Sanvien Cantaro's second in command, and one of the only other positions of a higher power in the CoPP. Madelynn Vear, was one of Cantaro's earliest clients, meeting him shortly after his apothecary opened in Sumner. Now, as the collective grows, she is directly in charge of the Personality Coaches, giving them directions on what to teach and how to approach, problematic, initiates.
She also decides when new initiates can leave their initial isolation period and join the common ranks of the CoPP. As well, anytime a member acts out of line or breaks the doctrine she is in charge of disciplinary measures.
Vear also guides the school's teaching approach, taking Cantaro's doctrines and moulding them into courses, classes, experiences, etc. Vear has extensive knowledge in strict teaching methods and had an extensive career in Sumners military programs teaching soldiers how to not crack under pressure.
Vear found this job mentally taxing and that it forced her to spread negativity onto herself and others, which is why she sought the help of Cantaro in the first place. Vear has now taken that experience and uses it to form the educational basis of the collective. Her strict method of teaching is a staple amongst the collective now.
Director of Positive Positioning - Sanvien Cantaro
The aforementioned Sanvien Cantaro, the leader of the CoPP. Cantaro makes all decisions on behalf of the collective and decides the best direction for all those underneath him in their collective journey towards everlasting positivity and happiness. Even Vear must receive Cantaro's approval before implementing any new or modified methods of teaching. Cantaro, who is now in his mid-fifties, still takes an active role in teaching everyone in the CoPP of his ways.
Often, Cantaro can be found teaching a number of classes to both initiatives and coaches each day, still joining in and leading the various experiences and healing methods of the group, and still often partakes in psychedelic drugs. He has taken on a guru-like aura and speaks often on the mind's ability to overcome negativity with proper training. He also frequently discusses the corrupting negativity of the general populous and the groups growing need to spread their doctrine in order to help expunge the festering evil of negativity in Sumner and the world at large.
Recently, rumours have spread stating that Canataro has begun to experience an increased urgency in his desire to eliminate the cities allegedly rampant epidemic of Chronic Negative Positioning. Some believe that Cantaro has something drastic planned that may take the group in a more sinister direction.
The CoPP Compound
This compound is located near Cantaro's original apothecary shop in Sumner and resides in between a lower-class neighbourhood and an up-and-coming middle-class neighbourhood. Cantaro purchased several blocks worth of buildings from the city after they had been condemned from ill-use and mismanagement. Cantaro then spent a significant amount of money, much of which came from donations from his growing clientele at the time, in order to update and renovate all of the buildings he purchased.
These buildings are now some of the most modern and luxurious in the city. He would also go as far as building a wall around his new compound, closing it off entirely from any public use. The compound as it stands now includes, a dozen buildings, including one large central hall, a park, man-made lakes, and several spaces designed to encourage positive emotions that are used for a variety of teaching and experiential purposes.
Use of Psychedelics
The CoPP is well known to partake in the usage of psychedelic and mood-altering substances. This usage, while frowned upon by the more stodgy communities in Sumner is not necessarily frowned upon by all of Sumner society. In fact, it is actually one of the things that entice people to join the group. Some wish to seek the free usage of mind-altering drugs, others seek its potential medical effects. Many believe that the drugs may actually allow them to break their sour or depressed moods and transform them into happier and more productive people.
And while research into this field in Fyria is next to none, the effects seen within the CoPP is clear enough that these drugs along with the teachings of the CoPP obviously change members' personalities. Though it is undecided whether or not this is a good thing or not. Some believe that this drug use goes one step beyond normal therapy and instead brainwashes members into being obnoxiously positive cult members only concerned with spreading the ideologies of the CoPP.
Concerns in the public have begun to spread, accusing the CoPP of enticing potential members to join by telling them they can fix their low moods and depression by joining the group and engaging in their therapy methods. However, the accusations state that the CoPP pushes these therapies too far and instead has brainwashed their members into overly positive soldiers willing to not only spread the mantra of the cult but fight to the death for it.
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