Talent Sourcerer

(set: $hasKey to false) Welcome to(text-colour:#00b324)+(bg:black)[ ''The Talent Sourcerer''] A text based adventure where you play as, you guessed it, a Talent Sourcerer. This game takes about 5 minutes to complete. The job of a Talent Sorcerer is to consult with the cosmos to find qualified adventurers to join their guilds and corporations. These adventurers then complete quests which make the company money. You are one such Talent Sourcerer. Your name is:(input: bind $playerName) [[Continue|GetSpecies]]

You are $playerName This world is rife with magical species and mystical beings, many of which are sentient and participate in society. You are a: [[Elf|elf]] [[Dwarf|dwarf]] [[Human|human]] [[Ogre|ogre]]

(set: $playerSpecies to "Elf") (goto:"GetCompanyName") [[GetCompanyName]]

(set: $playerSpecies to "Dwarf") (goto:"GetCompanyName") [[GetCompanyName]]

(set: $playerSpecies to "Human") (goto:"GetCompanyName") [[GetCompanyName]]

(set: $playerSpecies to "Ogre") (goto:"GetCompanyName") [[GetCompanyName]]

You are $playerName, a(n) $playerSpecies Talent Sourcerer that has been working at $companyName for a number of years. Today is Moon-Day, the first day of the work week. According to your schedule, you need to hire at least one early-career Tech Wizard by the end of the day. The easiest way to do this is to consult the Sourcerers Orb in your home office. This is your story. [[Begin Adventure!|Living Room]]

You approach Larry, an oversized bird-man who drinks like an even larger frog-man, Perhaps that’s why you get along so well. His beak lets out deep snores, and a glossy puddle of drool spreads beneath his chin and absorbs into his feathers. [[Wake Larry|WakeLarry]] [[Back|Living Room]]

You poke and shake Larry with all your strength, but he offers little more than a disgruntled “uhggg” in response. He'll come around eventually. With a resigned sigh, you roll his heavy, feathered body into the recovery position, set a glass of Pedialyte beside him, and leave him to sleep it off. [[Back|Living Room]]

You've woken up in a strange and unfamiliar place, your head is throbbing. As you come to your senses, the room becomes familiar, but remains as strange as always. You are in your friend Larry's living room. On the far side of the room is crackling fireplace. Lying face up in front of the fireplace is Larry, presumably as hung over as you are from your joint "apothecary experiments" last night. Nearby is the front door, as well as the couch you spent the night on. [[ Check on Larry|Larry]] [[ Examine Fireplace | Fireplace]] [[ Examine Couch | Couch]] [[ Go To Door |Door]]

Careful not to step on Larry, you inspect the fireplace. Its red bricks radiate a comforting warmth, the small fire inside crackling softly. You both lit it last night, using the last of the wood to chase away the creeping chill. [[Back|Living Room]]

The seat you passed out on was a large, blue, plush couch with oversized cushions that formed large crevices between them. [[Check Cushions|Cushions]] [[Back|Living Room]]

You approach the front door, its weathered, knotted wood worn with age. Rusty nails hold it together, and the cracked hinges groan under their burden. A small keyhole sits below the handle, its edges tarnished. The door’s seen better days. [[Break down the door|KickDoor]] (if: $hasKey)[[[---Use Key--|Key]]] [[Back|Living Room]]

(set: $hasKey to true) You start digging around under the couch cushions and find a brass key. You put the key in your pocket. [[Back|Living Room]]

With a solid kick, the door crashes open, splintering at the frame. You glance back to check on Larry—still sound asleep, snoring softly. The door needed replacing anyway, so you shouldn't feel guilty about it. [[Walk Outside|Outside]]

You try sticking the key you found into the hole, but it does not fit. [[Back|Door]]

You step outside into the damp, overcast morning. The cool air clings to you as the first rays of daylight struggle through the clouds. Your shift starts soon, and you must return to your lair to consult your sorcerer’s orb. With a gesture, you weave your hands in the air, casting a spell of blue and orange light. The ground before you stirs as rocks and clay rise, swirling together into the shape of a horse. It takes form quickly, breathing life into its new body. Within moments, your company-provided steed stands before you, ready for service. You mount the creature, and with a gentle nudge, begin the long journey home. As time passes, you notice your earthly mount isn’t traveling nearly as quickly as it was when you first set out. [[Kick it with your heels|KickHorse]] [[ Stop and take a snack break|Break]] [[Whisper sweet motivational words into it’s ear|Whisper]]

(set: $horse to "break") “No sense in working ourselves into exhaustion,” you think, guiding the steed off the road. You pull out a box of peanut butter cookies and share them with your mount. It’s hard to say why a horse made of dirt and rocks would enjoy peanut butter cookies, but both of you feel much better after the snack, a quiet bond formed over the simple act. The second half of the journey passes by much faster than the first, the rhythm of the road almost more pleasant now. You arrive at your doorstep and with a simple gesture, un-summon your horse. It happily dissolves back into the earth, the dirt and rocks sinking into the soil. You step inside, the familiar warmth of your home greeting you, and head straight for the library. [[Continue|Library]]

(set: $horse to "whisper") “Perhaps this is a motivational issue,” you think as you lean down into the horse’s ear. You whisper words of encouragement, reminding the beast of its noble work at $companyName. Being a steed is an honorable task, and its composition of dirt and rocks makes it an eco-friendly marvel. With a renewed sense of purpose, the steed quickens its pace, and you both feel invigorated, filled with zeal for the road ahead. You arrive at your doorstep and with a simple gesture, un-summon your horse. It happily dissolves back into the earth, the dirt and rocks sinking into the soil. You step inside, the familiar warmth of your home greeting you, and head straight for the library. [[Continue|Library]]

(set: $horse to "kick") "This is unacceptable performance," you think to yourself as you dig your heels into the horse’s sides. It lets out a sharp neigh, responding with a sudden burst of speed. $companyName demands excellence from its employees, and that standard applies to its dirt horses as well. You arrive at your doorstep and with a simple gesture, un-summon your horse. It happily dissolves back into the earth, the dirt and rocks sinking into the soil. You step inside, the familiar warmth of your home greeting you, and head straight for the library. [[Continue|Library]]

The library, as expected, is filled with shelves upon shelves of books. In the center of the room lies a large bear skin rug, soft and inviting, while a sturdy mahogany desk sits nearby. On the desk rests your Sorcerer’s Orb. [[Investigate Bookshelf|Bookshelf]] [[Examine Bearskin Rug|Rug]] [[Head to your desk|Desk]]

You approach one of the shelves and find yourself reminiscing about the time you went to IKEA to buy it. Then the rest of the memories come flooding back—the frustration, the anger, and the endless shouting that occured during its assembly. [[Pull out a book|book]] [[Back|Library]]

It’s a large mahogany desk, the kind of well-crafted furniture they don’t make anymore. The craftsmanship far outshines the shoddy bookshelves you picked up for cheap. If only other aspects of your life had been as sturdy. The orb sits on the desk, a gleaming sphere of deep, swirling sapphire and onyx, pulsing with an otherworldly light that seems to hum with untold secrets. [[Consult the Orb and start working|Candidate1]] [[Back|Library]]

You walk over to the bear skin rug, noting the large dark patch in its center. It's a remnant from the time you spilled wine on it about a year ago during a bout of sadness when your last partner left you. [[Look under the rug|UnderRug]] [[Back|Library]]

You pull a book from the shelf and blow the dust off its cover: //How to Win Friends and Influence People// by Dale Carnegie. You remember reading it a few years ago. It’s a strange mix of self-help and business advice, but you believe it’s had a positive impact on your career. [[Back|Library]]

It’s time to start the workday. You cast a minor incantation and activate the Sorcerer’s Orb. As you stare into its depths, the cloudy mist within begins to take shape. According to your schedule, you need to hire at least one early-career Tech Wizard by the end of today. The mist swirls and solidifies, revealing your first candidate. ''Name'': Aurum Mutus ''Age'': 21 ''Species'': Pixie ''Profession'': Level 1 Tech Wizard: ''Experience'': 1 Summer Internship Has all the skills for the role ''Reference'': DumbleDalph the great ''Other'': Graduated one month ago top of his class at Smogwartz school of Information Technology and Wizardry, a very prestigious school. [[Contact Reference|DumbleDalph]] [[Hire Candidate|HireAurum]] [[Reject Candidate|Reject Aurum]]

You look under the rug and find nothing but despair. [[Back|Library]]

Anyone who lists the world-renowned DumbleDalph the Great as a reference must be a talented Tech Wizard indeed. You contact DumbleDalph through the orb, and after several minutes of conversation, he says: “Aurum Mutus is a very bright wizard. However, like many of his age, he has absolutely no social skills. He’s incredibly awkward and rarely speaks up during meetings, even when it would benefit the project. He doesn’t know how to ask for help and has the attention span of a gnat, presumably because his parents gave him too much orb time as a child.” [[Back|Candidate1]]

“Anyone with this good of grades, from such a prestigious school, must be a qualified candidate!” you think to yourself as you swipe to approve the candidate. [[Next Candidate|Candidate2]]

“There are reasons beyond good grades from a good school to hire someone,” you think as you swipe left to deny the candidate. [[Next Candidate|Candidate2]]

The mist within the orb shifts and swirls, rearranging itself. Slowly, it takes form, revealing the next candidate. ''Name'': Judas Mendacium ''Age'': 31 ''Species'': Mechanical Construct (doesn’t need sleep) ''Profession'': Level 8 Tech Wizard: ''Experience'': 10 years at Orbosoft (the company that makes your orb) Has all the skills for the role and more. ''Reference'': Brutas the Deceitful ''Other'': Made senior Tech Wizard at Orbosoft in two years. [[Contact Reference|Brutas]] [[Hire Candidate|HireJudas]] [[Reject Candidate|RejectJudas]]

You conjure a conversation with Brutas the Deceitful on the orb and ask about his relationship with Judas Mendacium. At first, he seems confused, but quickly recovers and responds: “Oh yeah, good old Judas. He’s the best, uh, Tech Wizard I’ve ever encountered in my years. He works super duper hard. I wish all my other employees worked as hard as he does. Anyway, that’s all I have to say about that.” With that, he abruptly hangs up on you. [[Back|Candidate2]]

“This candidate is clearly qualified for the role. I should hire him before someone else does,” you think to yourself as you quickly accept the candidate. On to the next one. [[Last Candidate|Candidate3]]

“If it’s too good to be true, it probably is,” you think as you deny the candidate. On to the next. [[Last Candidate|Candidate3]]

The mist solidifies once more, slowly taking shape to reveal your final candidate. As the figure becomes clearer, a sense of certainty washes over you. You have a good feeling about this one. ''Name'': Benny Pickard ''Age'': 25 ''Species'': Human ''Profession'': Level 3 Tech Wizard ''Experience'': One year at SpaceLaboritory, a small wizarding statup company Has all the skills for the role ''Reference'': Matholomew the Wise ''Other'': It occurs to you that in life, we often save the best for last. [[Contact Reference|Matholomew]] [[Hire Candidate|HireBenny]] [[Reject Candidate|RejectBenny]]

You dial up Matholomew the Wise on the orb and have a pleasant conversation. When you ask about Benny, he responds: “Benny is a great employee. He speaks up in meetings and offers valuable ideas. He takes feedback well and is eager to learn how he can improve. He excels at working on long-term projects independently and can collaborate efficiently in a group. Among his colleagues, he’s known as the go-to person when you need help, always willing to share his knowledge and teach others the skills they need.” [[Back|Candidate3]]

(set: $hireBenny to true) “This is our candidate,” you realize as you scroll through his qualifications. The perfect balance of talent, high achievement, good looks, and honesty. [[Now what?|NowWhat]]

(set: $hireBenny to false) “I’m just not feeling it,” you think as you reject the last candidate. But as you do, a profound sensation of dread and regret begins to settle over you. [[Now what?|NowWhat]]

As your candidate queue empties, you realize you’ve (hopefully) completed your assigned task for the day. With some time still left before the day ends, you’re technically still on the clock—but you’re feeling tired. What do you do until the end of the day? [[Perform more Talent Sourcery|MoreWork]] [[Something else work related|OtherWork]] [[Relax|DoNothing]]

(set: $work to "more") “If I’m on the clock, I must be working,” you think to yourself as you open a new case. This mindset is ingrained in the culture at $companyName, where efficiency and productivity are always prioritized. Over the years, this expectation plays a pivotal role in your career. [[Conclusion|Conclusion]]

(set: $work to "other") “I must stay company-oriented as long as I’m working,” you think to yourself. For the next hour or two, you use the orb to learn new skills, further enhancing your effectiveness at $companyName. You make this choice time and time again throughout your career, and and accelerate very quickly because of it. [[Conclusion|Conclusion]]

(set: $work to "relax") “I’ve completed my task, I can rest now,” you think as you boot up the cosmos browser. Before you even realize it, the clock strikes 5, and you’re done for the day. You make this choice time and time again throughout your career, fostering a consistent work-life balance that keeps you both happy and healthy. [[Conclusion|Conclusion]]

(if: $hireBenny)[(goto: "GoodEnding")] (else:)[(goto: "BadEnding")] [[GoodEnding]] [[BadEnding]]

As the years go by, $companyName’s growth stagnates. Eventually, after having bet your entire retirement on the company’s pension plan, you are devastated to learn that they’ve declared bankruptcy. $companyName is now used in business schools as a cautionary tale of what happens when companies fail to hire the right talent. Perhaps, if you’d made better hiring decisions, things could have turned out differently. (text-colour:#00b324)[''The End'']

As the years go by, $companyName does exceedingly well—so well, in fact, that they decide to implement a pension plan for their employees. Having made wise investments in your youth, you retire very comfortably at the end of your career. You feel confident that your hiring decisions had a positive impact on the success of the company and your fulfillment in your $playerSpecies life. (if: $horse is "kick")[ Over the years, Benny became one of the top performers at the company and thrived in its go-getter culture. ](if: $horse is "break")[ Over the years, Benny became one of the most well-liked employees at $companyName and helped foster a culture of kindness. ](if: $horse is "whisper")[ Over the years, Benny became a guiding force for his fellow employees, quickly advancing into a management role. His motivational words maximized team performance. ] At the same time, (if: $work is "more")[ Benny was a diligent worker, often putting in long hours, for which he was awarded Employee of the Year by the CEO. His dedication ultimately contributed to the company’s success. ](if: $work is "other")[ Benny developed his skills and knowledge to improve his performance, proving to be an invaluable asset and an unexpected investment that drove the company’s success. ](if: $work is "relax")[ Benny maintained a healthy work-life balance and encouraged his colleagues to do the same. High morale within the company led to its continued success. ] (text-colour:#00b324)[''The End'']

You are a(n) $playerSpecies. The company you work for needs brave adventurers to send out into the world and complete quests. The name of your company is: Company Name:(input: bind $companyName) [[Continue|StartQuest]]