— CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE —

Recruitment Drive

- September 21 - Recruitment Day -

  {Lucy}

 Solar Arena - the stadium in Celestia Grand's Sunfire District - was always a lively place. The surrounding plaza and the tall glass walls of the arena's foyer were plastered with signs and banners advertising upcoming player-run events. The most widely featured was today's - the Citadel progression recruitment drive.

 The World Guard had done some poking around inside the Citadel gardens and found they were quite open. There was a lot of maze to cover and things to find in all directions. So they opened the place up to any guild willing to help. Now, everyone was looking to set themselves up as a leader in the game's raiding scene. The Guard also set up a high-prize-pool dueling tournament at the same time to draw in crowds and let the potential guilds scout promising talent.

 As one of the Oxtongue raiders, I practically had a free ticket to join any of the recruiting guilds. And so, I used some of the money from the cloak sale to buy a professional white button-up and black dress pants - my job interview best - and headed inside.

 The interior was set up like a convention center. Booths lined the space advertising guilds and signs laid out directions and times to scheduled presentations. Immediately, it was apparent seeing everything would be impossible. I was going to have to move fast.

 As soon as I started to negotiate through the crowds, Rose called out to me. "Lucy!"

 She was now a member of a guild called Rose's Thorns. Actually, she was co-leader alongside Filius. They founded it as soon as the Guard announced they'd be leaving the Citadel to the community. Dressed in her full combat gear - everyone was in combat form, now that I looked, making me feel a little silly that I took the time to dress up - she fell into step beside me.

 "Hello, Rose. How's Filius?" I did my best to speak over the clamor.

 "He's fine, just manning our booth." She motioned over to one of the quieter corners in the shadow of the stairs to the upper seating levels.

 "How has recruitment been so far?"

 "Fairly well. We don't have any big speeches planned like some of these clan-based groups, but being the leaders of the Oxtongue raid is bringing in plenty of attention."

 "That's encouraging to hear."

 "So, have you given our offer any thought?"

 They had invited me - all of us in the raid - to join them, but I hadn't given them a hard answer yet.

 "Yes, and you're on my list. But, professionally-speaking, it would be irresponsible not to see what is available."

 "Of course." she nodded politely. "No hard feelings if you go elsewhere; every bit of work in the Citadel gets us closer to finishing this."

 "Right. So, tell me about Rose's Thorns - what's your strategy?"

 "Oh, you want a pitch? Ok." She cleared her throat and stood up straight. "Our goal is to maintain the momentum we've built off our first boss kill and tackle the rest of the Citadel in a similar fashion. Our initial group was made up of individuals who played to their personal strengths. We didn't conform to some cookie-cutter comp; instead, we adapted our tactics based on who we had and what we were up against. What we're looking for is to put together a low-commitment roster of talented individuals so, when it's time to set up for a fight, we can draw whatever composition best suits the information we have. No rigid core teams here! It's all about collaboration and camaraderie."

 "And what do you look for when creating the raid team?"

 "I would rather have people that are masters in their preferred class, who know all of their abilities' uses in all situations, than those that follow and replicate the meta. It was individual flexibility, not numerical performance that cinched the Oxtongue fight."

 But it was Percival's gumption that carried the final push.

 "Thank you." I smiled. "I'll let you know my decision by the end of the day."

 Looking at the schedule, there was a presentation from a guild with an already large membership base in about 30 minutes. That left me with a spot of time to wander through the smaller stalls in and around the lobby and mingle with their recruiters.

 There was one booth whose name and members made me think they had confused the recruitment drive for a garage band convention - Hermann Park Vacancy. A man with a mop of hair that drooped over his eyes sat behind the counter - obviously their drummer - while their lead guitar and vocals - a man in an untucked button-up with unruly hair - animatedly chatted up anyone passing by. Matsen was his name. Out of intellectual curiosity, I approached.

 "Heya there!" Matsen waved with a smile wide enough to rival the sun.

 "Good afternoon." I kept my tone measured. "I take it you're recruiting for the Citadel?"

 "Yeah, yeah!" he nodded with his whole body. "We're looking for more to get started up there! Have you seen the place yet? Man, doesn't it look cool?!"

 "Do you mind if I ask some questions then?"

 "Hell yeah! Go for it!"

 "First off, what do you look for in your members?"

 "Hey, as long as you're cool, I don't got a problem. We just want peeps who can roll with whatever comes our way!"

 "Mhm." I nodded. "What do you offer to your members, and what do you expect out of them?"

 "Expectations? Just be yourself, have fun, and give it your all when the moment calls for it. We're not big on rules or strict roles."

 "What are your goals within the Citadel?"

 "Who knows, you know? I hear there's no loot up there, so I guess we just want to pitch in and see some cool stuff." He shrugged with a carefree smile.

 "What is your experience with raiding and group content?"

 "We've done a bunch of dungeons! All PUG stuff, never had anyone die. You just gotta know when to back off and try again, right? Know your limits - don't take risks." he nodded sagely.

 "And how do you approach strategy planning for raids?"

 "Well, first you get the group together, then talk about what you're going to do. You know - you stand over there, I'll be there. The boss'll move here, and we'll go from there. You know!"

 "How would you have handled the Oxtongue fight?"

 "Oh!" He bounced on his feet as he grabbed a piece if paper from the desk and started scribbling on it. "You know that guy running around at the end, right? Percival? Well, I would've had him front and center, rope-a-doping the boss and keeping it distracted, then put everyone else in a circle around it on ranged damage!"

 The mop-haired man behind the booth nodded in silent approval.

 "Ok, thank you." I said, forcing a polite smile.

 "So?" he asked. "What do you think?"

 "It's too early in the day to make a decision. I'll give you an answer by the end of the day."

 I walked away, and he hopped right on to another conversation. My honest assessment? ... I liked the enthusiasm. He was very approachable for a leader. However, their planning left ... quite a few things to be desired. Lives were at stake here; we couldn't just traipse around and have fun - which is a laughable sentiment, now that I know what Fritz and Percy were getting up to. Still, I hoped my questions would help them consider their weak points.

 That led me up to the appointment for a presentation from that large guild - Tempest. When I arrived at the little auditorium they had booked, their presenter was already taking the stage. He was a middle-aged man in knightly armor, complete with greying hair and a kind yet commanding presence. Like someone's dad that was very into the ren faire. Name of Wulfric - the guild leader, as I later learned. As the murmurs settled, he cleared his throat.

 "I'll start by introducing myself. I'm a stay-at-home software engineer who really picked up gaming after my son left the house. I've got eleven years of raiding experience, starting back in Everquest, eight of those leading in World of Warcraft. We were realm-first Sunwell!" he gave us an excited smile.

 "That's where many of our founding members came from - we wanted to try out this new game together. But I don't think I need to say the situation has changed." he continued, his tone shifting to one more serious. "We're not looking for people with experience; we'll work you up to that. In fact, if any of you have done a dungeon, you may have noticed this game doesn't play like anything else before it - not all experience transfers. What we are looking for is people with the drive to take us home. We encourage anyone that wants to help to sign up. Give it a shot."

 He seemed to have a good grasp of leadership, a firm plan of action, and an understanding of how to execute it in this game. Noting to see if I could ask some follow-up questions in a one-on-one later, I left.

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 As I stepped out of the presentation hall, I spotted Siegfried looking at a map with a puzzled expression. His nameplate didn't have a guild tag on it yet. Strange; I thought he would have signed up with Rose, given he was also one of the co-leaders of the Oxtongue raid.

 "Oh, hello there." I stopped beside him. "Are you looking for a guild?"

 "Yeah..." he gave the map another look before turning to me. "Do you know where the stairs are?"

 "I saw them on the other side of the auditoriums - here." I led him through the halls. "So, you're not taking a leadership position?"

 "No, I don't... think that's my strong suit."

 "Alright. Have you seen any other members of the raid?"

 "Davi - and her bother - signed up with that adventuring guild - Shake Spear - and they've stated they will not be participating in the Citadel. And Flora said she was going to look for a 'normal' job. No news on either Leo or Sebas."

 In all honesty, I had forgotten about the two of them.

 "I know Percy and Fritz aren't signing up either." I added. "They're still... doing whatever it is they've been doing."

 "Finding broken crossbows." he chuckled. "So, what do you think of the crowd?"

 "I haven't seen half of what's available. Honestly, I'm worried some of them are in for more than they expect - a serious guild is an organization, not just a friend group. What about you? Will you be taking Rose up on her offer?"

 "I don't know yet." he admitted. "I'm... concerned with how many of these guilds are approaching this. Like a sports league. The game is our enemy, not each other."

 "There's nothing wrong with a little competition - it gives people a goal to strive for and keep pace against."

 "I just hope it doesn't lead to keeping strategies secret or undermining each other. We need to work together here."

 Before Siegfried could respond, a booming voice broke through the crowd. "Hey hey hey!" A bare-chested giant clad in a leather harness and fur-trimmed pants honed in on us, or specifically Siegfried. He was from a guild called Steel Rage. "How you doin', man? You lookin' for a guild?"

 "Yes, I am." Siegfried replied, standing tall but not quite as intimidating next to this hulking figure.

 "Well, if you think you've got what it takes, check out Steel Rage! We're looking for the baddest mothers in town to pound this game into dust, and I think you'd be perfect! Our leader, Rex, is in it to win it! He's in the tournament if you want to see what kind of skill we're bringing to the table!" He gestured toward a booth not two steps away from us. It was one of the larger, more professionally organized of the bunch.

 Siegfried and I glanced at each other, shrugged, and stepped over.

 The center of the administration appeared to be a man named Brian2378 - a similarly jacked muscleman, though he was gussied up in a button-up and tie. It looked a little goofy in how it strained taut around his biceps. Like Superman trying to blend in. His demeanor was calm and collected, a stark contrast to the exuberance of the first man.

 "Our goal," he explained to us, "is to create a tighter, more-efficient ship with a carefully trimmed roster of competent individuals. The Citadel isn't a place for messing around unprepared. We aren't even doing recruitment today; we're setting up tryouts in dungeon runs. Even if you don't make the cut, you keep the loot from the run. Although," he gave us a knowing smirk, "you two specifically have your credentials already established."

 Was that the first time someone recognized me? Interesting. This guy was sharper than his looks let on.

 I said, "Thank you for taking the time to speak with us. However, I'm not ready to commit to a decision at this moment; there are still more groups to explore."

 "That's the smart way of approaching it." he nodded approvingly.

---

 Later in the day, I settled into a quiet corner of the arena's seating to review my notes. On the field, the dueling tournament was entering the quarterfinals.

 Up next was Rex Basilikos - Steel Rage's leader - squaring off against Mortre from the guild Bad Charlotte. I hadn't seen them in the pool of recruiters, so they were either small-time or here for the fun. Both were hulking, surprisingly agile men going at it with great axes. That booth himbo wasn't lying; Rex was a tank rampaging across the battlefield, yet he wasn't bull-headed. He easily juggled between weapon sets to suit the situation as the fighters prodded and attempted to corner each other.

 That, however, meant little. It was not an individual's skill but leadership and efficient management of the whole group that would carry the guild in the long term. So - who has the most stable structure?

 As I started to flip through my notes, two particularly meddlesome reporters popped up on either side of me.

 "Why hello there!" Cherry leaned over the back of the seat on one side.

 "Fancy running into you here!" Ace plopped down in the seat next to me, a pen and notepad in hand.

 "I get the feeling it's less of an accident than you're letting on."

 Ace said, "We just happen to be covering the event here and saw you looking all lonely!"

 "The people are dying to know where the Oxtongue slayers will wind up!" Cherry added.

 "So," Ace smiled, "mind telling us your plans?"

 I thought for a moment, then asked, "Have you been here all day?"

 "Since before opening!" Ace said. "Interviewing, watching fights."

 "If you check out the concessions, the garlic fries are bomb, by the way." Cherry added.

 "How about a trade?" I proposed. "You tell me what you've found on these guilds, and I'll tell you which one I'll pick."

 Cherry and Ace exchanged a glance, then nodded. She said, "Throw in a basket of garlic fries, and you can have all our notes."

 So we repositioned over to the food court around a basket of golden, crispy, and steaming fries with a generous sprinkling of garlic and parsley. And they were absolutely right about them - best garlic fries I've ever had. We sat at a table on a balcony high in the stands looking over the area, a cool breeze blowing by in the twilight.

 Tapping his pen on the table, Ace said, "So the obvious question I've gotta ask - Rose's Thorns? The guild put together by two of the other Oxtonguers - nope, that's not it."

 "O.X. -" Cherry suggested, "- Oxtongue eXterminators."

 "How about Grassinators?" Ace asked.

 "That's fine, too."

 One eye on his notes, Ace said, "It's led by the same people that led the original raid, and we hear you were in the same tutorial instance as them."

 I took a deep breath. "I like Rose... but I hesitate to say I trust her leadership abilities. The loose approach they are taking toward group composition is exactly what put the Oxtongue group in danger. We lacked sufficient healers to handle the enrage mechanics."

 Ace nodded. "And it wasn't Rose or Filius that salvaged that fight."

 "Precisely. Not only is she prone to losing focus, but, if in a tight spot, she may endanger others for the safety of her husband."

 Cherry said, "I want a partner that'd throw other people on the fire for me."

 "Ok, but no one wants to be the one thrown on the fire." Ace shot back.

 "No one but a masochist."

 "Is that a no for the Thorns?" Ace asked. "How will Rose take that?"

 I said, "We're all adults. It's simply a professional decision."

 "Let us know if you get a Christmas card."

 Cherry asked, "Does this game have holiday events?"

 "Well there wasn't one for Labor Day." Ace said.

 "Boo!" Cherry jeered. "Proletariat, rise up! Down with the bourgeoise! We demand recognition!"

 "Maybe Halloween?" Ace asked. "Anyway, who's next on the list?"

 "Tempest." I said.

 "Tempest." Cherry repeated.

 Ace said, "Biggest guild present. That alone gives them weight, and the officers have experience. About half of the top sixteen in the tournament were Tempest's people."

 "But none of them made it to semifinals." Cherry added.

 He said, "Still, you can tell they came prepared to show off."

 I said, "That speaks to a decent organizational structure and forethought."

 "Open invitations can attract all sorts, though." Ace added. "You're going to catch a lot of... mediocre talent."

 I said, "I believe they are attempting to capture the largest share of the interested population, then filter through it to find the diamonds. The rest will either be dropped or relegated to generating resources to support the main raid group."

 "Hoo-boy." Ace rolled his eyes. "Sounds a little too..."

 "Exploitative?" Cherry suggested. "Nepotistic?"

 "I was going to say 'corporate', but I didn't want to get you started."

 "Please! Don't get me started!"

 "Corporations don't succeed on accident." I said. "And with limited group sizes, funneling resources into a few select people would make for more efficient progression - minimize the amount of time they need to spend on things other than beating the game."

 Cherry said, "Well I'm glad we're not signing up."

 "Put me down for Doughnuts Per Second any day." Ace added.

 "Ugh." Cherry scoffed.

 "Who's that?" I asked.

 Ace said, "They wrapped up their recruitment earlier in the day. Cherry's not a fan of their leader - he threw her out of our interview for asking if he had a foot fetish."

 "How did that even come up?"

 "It's just one of those things people are curious about." Cherry shrugged. "So, uh...?"

 "I do not, and I have no desire to field any more questions from you." I smiled politely.

 "Right, so, DPS." Ace twirled his pen through his fingers. "It was made by a bunch of role-players that decided they'd had enough."

 Cherry said, "Their founding group is a clan with a rep for going to any lengths to set up a stunt. These guys are legends - I've seen compilations of the stuff they've done. We're talking multi-day player-run festivals, kiting world bosses into strange places, setting up entire guilds on other servers to troll hardcores."

 Ace added, "I have them earmarked to watch for unorthodox approaches and theatrics."

 "Using them to fill articles aside, what do you think of their capabilities?" I asked.

 He said, "They may not be hardcore raiders by trade, but they are dedicated and know their game mechanics."

 "Hm." I looked down at the arena below. "What about Steel Rage? What do you have on them?"

 "My two cents?" Cherry asked. "They've got the hottest lineup of guys. It's like they raided a muscle convention!"

 Ace said, "Most of them we've met are meatheads."

 I said. "There was one I met that seemed like he had a decent head for strategy."

 "Brian?" Ace asked. "He's their second-in-command, yeah. He was the one we interviewed, too. Seemed like he was going to be doing the actual management while the head does the bombastic, showy stuff."

 "They're taking the opposite approach to Tempest -" I said, "- keeping the roster thin with less dead weight, higher average skill level. There could be something there, but there's less underlying structure than Tempest, and I don't know how much of that... 'Rex' will bleed over the 'Brian'.

 Scribbling notes, Ace said, "Ooh, 'bleed over' - I like that. This is good stuff; can we quote this as an anonymous commenter?"

 "... Anything but the Rose's Thorns opinion. I will not have them disparaged."

 "Disparaged!" Cherry repeated. "That's a fun word! Yo, Ace, let's disparage some tacos after this!"

 "If you hadn't spent all our money on garlic fries..."

 "It's a business expense! That was our lunch!"

 "You try getting it comped, then."

 Wanting to finish this off, I interrupted, "Do you have any other groups written down?"

 Ace said, "There are dozens of smaller guilds down there. With your pull as a Grassinator, you could probably get yourself an influential position with one of them and shape it however you'd like."

 "That may be possible," I mused, "but none of the ones I saw showed the level of promise I'd like - they aren't firmly structured or thought out."

 "So who are you going with?" Cherry asked.

 "Looking purely at who I believe will be most successful... I have to choose... Tempest."