Hearth of the Cards
Chapter 1: Huey Motor truest Demonstration
"Hey! Tonko, would you like to have a Hearthstone game with me?" The Gnome Scientist asked with a devious smile on his face, the short black-bearded friend of the inventor of the D.U.E.L. Platform yawned loudly as he wasn't finished eating his breakfast, slowly taking a bite out of a tough hunk of bread and not being impressed with Huey's invention.
"Do you really think this is going to do what you want it do? You know me Huey...I ain't no Mage Engineer or whatever you are nowadays..." Tonko retorted as he took a sip of a glass of milk, not really looking interested, something that heavily deterred Huey Motor who simply wanted his friend to help him with demonstrating his new invention.
"Of course it will! I programmed it, I worked hard on it and I used all my gold on it! So its going to work! I just need a volunteer partner!" Huey Insisted as Tonko groaned loudly, slowly getting out of his metal seat and stretching his fatigued and awaken bones.
"Alright alright...I need my Hearthstone deck right?" Tonko said as he put on his iron-plate armor, despite being the smallest of the Alliance races, Tonko was a very potent and strong warrior, he didn't want to look like some sort of fool though, since he never bothered with Gnomish interests like engineering or mining, while Huey's room was filled with broken and failed inventions, Tonko's home was filled with weapons, armor and even a couple of training dummies here and there, each of them battered and broken due to excess training on them.
"Of course you do! Here take this extra D.U.E.L. Platform! Insert your deck in the slot! Put the platform around your writing wrist!" Huey pointed to the empty socket, supposedly where the Hearthstone deck is supposed to be when the Platform is activated, Tonko grabbed his warrior-themed deck and slowly inserted his deck into the slot, it fit like a glove, snugly fitting into the socket, the Duel Platform began to light up with life, its blue hue glowing greatly like an mana-infused sapphire.
"Now what?" Tonko asked cluelessly, not really knowing why the Duel Platform just lit up, causing Huey to groan in annoyance.,
"Just follow me Tonko...We need to show everyone my great invention!" Huey said with a growl, quickly grabbing and dragging Tonko outside of his home and into the town square of New Tinker Town.
Tinker Town was a Gnome town alright, buildings were made of refined steel with massive cogs and screws, bigger than the gnomes that drilled them on, mechano-striders and robotic rabbits and squirrels were the critters of Tinker Town and the pools of pure liquid radiation! A notable land-mark in the zone of Dun Morogh besides Ironforge and the Amberstill Ranch of course.
Ever since the Leper Gnomes retreated back into the more deeper crevices and halls of Gnomeregan, peace has finally been brought into Tinker Town, now Gnomes could live in their own inventive tranquility, it was more bustling as usual as several Tinker Town Citizens stared at the Duel Platforms that was on Huey and Tonko's wrists respectively.
"Is that some kind of fist weapon?" One gnome asked his friend as they were just minding their own business before Huey dragged Tonko out in the open, enjoying their morning of the warm sun in the cold reaches of Dun Morogh.
"Attention Everyone that owns a Hearthstone deck and enjoys the game!" Huey shouted loudly as he instructed Tonko to stand about fifteen feet away across from him.
From Huey's words, literally a whole crowd of gnomes began to stare at Huey and Tonko, it seemed like Huey had the whole audience in the palm in his hands, using the popularity of Hearthstone to his invention.
"Then boy do I have a new invention for all of you Hearthstone players and card battlers and the like! Introducing..." His Duel Platform came alive, instantly, Tonko and the crowd gasped as suddenly small traces of dark blue light began to emit from Duel Platform, forming a field and emitting a massive almost set-piece like holographic game board as the two beams from the two players Duel Platforms were effectively working together to form a portable, holographic and grandiose gameboard.
"The Dimension Unrestrained Energy Layer Platform! Also known as...The D.U.E.L. Platform! Now, are you ready my humble Assistant, Tonko Sparkgrind?!" Huey Motor asked as he drew a hand of three cards, Tonko nodded in response, somewhat silenced from the holograms.
"Wow, this is actually...Really amazing Huey...Uh..." before Tonko could speak once more, Suddenly, a big holographic coin flipped in the middle of the field, it quickly landed on the mana crystal side.
"Hah, it seems like my Assistant has won the coin toss! He gets to go second, but gets an extra card, and the coin! Like the normal rules of Hearthstone!" Huey Explained as the Gnome Warrior listened akin to the crowd that was starting to gather, watching the Hearthstone game unfold as Tonko drew cards from his Duel Platform, holding his hand of cards with a single glove.
"So...Lets get this show on the road! Lets go! But instead of starting with 30 Health as per usual Hearthstone games, we'll start with 15!" Huey Motor said as he got into a bombastic stance as the Crowd began to cheer in anticipation, an easier way of watching a Hearthstone card game!? It was the stuff of legends for any Hearthstone player, Tonko only stared at his friend with a curved eyebrow, more bewildered rather than impressed.
D.U.E.L. Start!
Huey Motor, Class: Mage
Vs.
Tonko Sparkgrind, Class: Warrior
Starting Health: 15
"Alright, since its my turn, I'll start things off simple-minded like some sort of Trogg! I play a Mana Wyrm! (Mana: 1, ATK: 1, HP: 3)" Huey slammed the card into one of the slots on the blade of the Duel Platform, instantly, a hologram of a Mana Wyrm appeared, coiling up before letting out a menacing hiss.
"See, in order to play a minion, all you have to do is just place one of them into the seven slots on top of the blade part of the Duel Platform! its easy folks! Anyway, its your move Tonko! Show me what you got!" Huey persuaded as he ended his turn, Tonko slowly drew a card from his Hearthstone deck, struggling to deal with this new form of playing.
"Uh...Okay...I'll use, the coin card, giving me two mana crystals for this turn...Go! Bloodtalon Raptor! (Mana: 2, ATK: 3, HP: 2)" This time, the coin appeared once again on the holographic field, before it disintegrated, what replaced the decaying coin was a small, hungry-looking raptor creature, ready to bite down upon the Mana Wyrm, but it must wait a turn before siccing on the Mana Wyrm.
"You see! Any card can be portrayed on these Layer fields! No matter how big, or how small!" Huey Instructed, his mana bar gaining another crystal, as it was portrayed as a simple statistic instead of a stylistic mana crystal gauge.
"Now, I'll just play use my Hero Power! Fire Blast! On you!" Instantly, Huey's Duel Platform-bearing hand began to envelop in a artificial flame, the Inventor then threw the fire ball at Tonko, the Gnome Warrior yelped in surprise as the fire ball struck Tonko right in the chest, losing one point of his health, despite the fire ball striking down Tonko, to his surprise, it didn't hit one bit.
"Now, attack Tonko with my Mana Wyrm!" The Holographic Mana Wyrm hissed like a cruel snake before biting rushing towards Tonko like an arrow, going through Tonko and it went slip-streamed back right into its original spot.
Tonko HP: 13
"I end my turn, your move Tonko!" Huey said with an Evil Scientist-like laugh, as his Mana Wyrm laughed with him with evil hisses, the Gnome-laden crowd gasped in awe as they saw the Mana Wyrm join in Huey's tics, almost as if it was alive and was highly intelligent.
"My move I guess...Draw..." Tonko said aloud, slowly drawing a card from his deck and looking at the card with a slow and calm nature as he looked upon at the task at hand.
"Heh, guess I'm quite lucky...I use my Weapon card, Fiery War Axe! (Mana: 2, ATK: 3, Durability: 2)" Immediately, Tonko was equipped with a holographic Fiery War axe, the weapon was as big as the Gnome Warrior who wields it.
"Wow...Huh, not as big as my real Axe but good enough, time to strike down that Mana Wyrm." Tonko said with a slow swing of the Fiery War Axe, he cleaved the Mana Wyrm in two, Tonko smiled within his black beard, feeling a large tone of satisfaction as it was fun slicing down the Mana Creature.
Tonko HP: 12
"Huh, that was actually...Pretty extraordinaire Its like actual fighting but without having to repair or clean your armor...Get him Bloodtalon Raptor!" The Red-scaled raptor growled in obedience, quickly clawing Huey and inflicting a fifth of his total Health, he screamed in a fake manner as if he was over-acting.
Huey HP: 12
"Noooo! Luckily, these Holograms do no damage to you! Making this a safe but fun alternative to using the clunky game board!" Huey explained as he stopped screaming, the Crowd of Gnomes began to chatter among themselves in wonder and awe, already seeming like they want some of the Duel Platform pie.
"I end my turn I guess..." Tonko said as he noticed that the Fiery War Axe he was wielding began to crack and rust, the durability of the War Axe deteriorating only after a single strike.
"My move! Hahaha!" Huey said with a Chaotic laugh, quickly drawing a card from the top of his deck and frowning from the card result.
"Now, lets put this up a notch, I'm going to readjust the mana levels so that we both have ten!" Huey said as both players were given a statistic about how much mana they have right now, going from two and three respectively, to a full set of ten mana.
"So, now since I have ten mana, I can blast you with a Fireball spell and a Frostbolt spell!" Huey showed his two Mage class cards, placing the cards down on the blade of the Duel Platform, being putting it into the discard pile, Tonko was assaulted by a big fireball attack, then stunted in place by a powerful ice shard attack, losing about nine points of Health.
Tonko HP: 3 Total Mana for both players are now 10
"I'm going to let my assistant here have his turn, even though my Mana Wyrm has a boosted attack, I want my Assistant here to have a chance!" Huey Laughed in an arrogant manner as it seemed like the tide has turn in the Hearthstone Battle, Tonko frowned from Huey's words, drawing a card from his deck.
"Huh, in that case, time you make you realize that you just made yourself lose." Tonko said in a serious and strong tone, catching Huey off-guard from such a statement.
"I'll summon Gromm Hellscream to the field!" Drums of war began to be heard as the Leader of the Warsong Appeared with a blood-thirsty roar, his muscles are bulging, his size is impressive, his Gorehowl is mighty and his deep rage within? Near unstoppable.
"Lok...Tar...OGAR!" Gromm said with a bloodthirsty bellow, the sounds of war horns and battle drums soon followed his Traditional Orc War cry, his stats and effect being portrayed finally after is entrance was completed.
(Gromm Hellscream, Warrior-Only Legendary, Mana Level: 8, Attack level: 4, Health: 9, Effect: Charge Enrage: + 6 attack.)
"Then I'll use Cruel Taskmaster to give my Gromm his Enrage effect and a boost of two attack!" The Cruel Hammer-wielding Task Master appeared right beside the Father of Garrosh Hellscream, without a second thought, the Task master whipped Gromm's uncovered back, a severe lash plastering his demonic-green skin, instantly, the blood rage within Gromm took over, roaring out a wrathful warcry as his attack was increased from a measly four, to a massive twelve!
"Oh no..." Huey said, realizing that he put this on himself.
"Now, Grommash Hellscream, destroy Huey Motor with the blade of your Gorehowl!" Gromm Hellscream roared as the bloodfury took over any sense of logical reasoning the Orc hero had, quickly slamming down his legendary axe against Huey Motor, causing the Gnome to squeal in fear as the Axe went through him, if it wasn't a hologram, Huey would've been cleaved into two right about now.
"And thats the game!" Huey said with a laugh, the crowd that was gathered cheered from the demonstration of the Duel Platform.
"I want one!" "I want one too!" "I Want two of them!" "Me Too!" Several gnomes said aloud.
From there on since then, D.U.E.L. Platforms are now just as popular as Hearthstone, if you play Hearthstone, then you definitely have a Duel Platform, Goblins of the Bilgewater Cartel began to hear news of the invention of Duel Platforms, enraged by their Gnomish rivals inventing an extremely popular contraption, made their own versions of the Duel Platform, then many of versions were created, and the rest is history.