Soul Deck caught my eye the very first time I stepped into The Hub. What appeared to be a quaint little old fashioned pub from the outside actually contained a separate hub for the Vertigo card game. A world where your only weapon was a deck of cards, and in order to increase your cards you had to defeat bigger, and badder, creatures. It wasn’t something Jupiter would be interested in playing, but I loved card games. Poker on Saturday nights had been a staple for a long time. Then there were the various battle card games that came along, each with their own rules and artistic depictions. In virtual spaces they had even gained some animations, and depth. The battle fields had grown, becoming something tangible.

The Soul Deck pub had old wooden shaker tiles on the roof, a swinging door for the entrance, and white stucco walls. Simple, clean lines, and aged paint. If I hadn’t seen the advertisements in the Trading Card Game forums for Vertigo I probably would have overlooked the pub.

Even though I expected it, it was a bit surreal to step through the doors. The Soul Deck, like many buildings in The Hub, was bigger on the inside. Physical space was a construct of reality, but in virtual space there was no limit. What appeared to be a two story saloon on the outside opened up to more than ten stories stretching up toward an open sky once inside. I had to crane my neck upward in order to see to the top of the building, and even then I wasn’t sure I could see past the fog of distance.

Each floor appeared to have a slightly different design. On the bottom floor there were simple cinder-block columns holding up archways that led to old wooden doors. On the floor above the columns were finished stonework, the doors thick oak with steel barding. Each floor became a bit more ornate until the upper floors that I could see had marble colonnades with fluted sconces, and silver inlaid gates that glowed with faint magic over the archways.

The building was a hub within a hub. Each portal took you to a different level of the game, and the bar allowed you to mingle among players without worrying about levels. The Soul Deck was a safe zone, in effect, where players could trade cards, tips, sell items, or find others to duel with in the mini arena. Once inside the gates all bets were off. Player-verses-player was in effect on all levels, so if you weren’t interested in being attacked by fellow players you had to find a different game.

There were dozens of people scattered throughout the building. Several were entering and exiting various portals on different floors. Others were gathered around tables on the ground floor drinking and sharing stories. On the far side of the ground floor there was a small arena with two combatants and a small crowd. There were two creatures currently brawling on the floor, but they were only a foot tall so I could not see what they were from the far side of the lobby.

From what I understood of Vertigo, the arena inside Soul Deck was a practice arena used for small bets, and . The full size arenas, complete with elements, full size creatures, and major spell slinging, could be found out on the floors. The first arena was the most common since anyone could enter the first floor, but to battle in any of the tournaments in higher levels you had to be able to get there first, though you could buy a pass to be in the audience.

I took in Soul Deck and all the unusual people scattered around the room. I wasn’t quite sure where to start with the game. There was no big exclamation point hovering over anyone’s head proclaiming a quest available. But it was a bar, so why not start with the bartender?

I made my way through the room, weaving between tables and a few people trading cards. There weren’t a lot of people in the bar, just enough to feel cozy without being overcrowded. The bar itself sat in the center of the room, a wide circular area with stools spaced evenly around the outside. Several people sat in small clusters, or alone, having drinks and looking through more stacks of cards.

I slipped in between a tall blond woman with long silver finger nails, and a boy in a pink tutu and purple wings drinking milk.

The bartender looked incredibly stereotypical, right down to his handlebar mustache and bald head. He was even wiping a glass with a white cloth as I sat down, even though the glass looked clean.

“How can I help you, little miss?” he said, still whipping at the glass.

“Little miss?” I asked.

“Don’t mind him,” the girl beside me said. “He’s programmed for old-timey language. It’s part of the flavor around here. And he’s equally ridiculous to the men who come in here, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

I sighed. Just what I needed, a dev who enjoyed making the players uncomfortable. “And no one said anything about it?”

“Of course they did,” she said, twisting in her chair to face me. “Someone said it was sexist, of course, but the dev pointed out the NPC calls the men the same thing and they had to give up on that.”

“It calls the men little miss, too?”

“Yep,” she said with a wide smile. “You should see the newbies that come in here. They look so confused.”

I couldn’t help chuckling at the thought. I could imagine Jupiter in his dwarf getup being called little miss. Then again his long red braids might be cute with a couple of bows.

“Name’s Vallet,” the woman said, holding out her hand.

I took it. Her hands were smaller than I thought, and she had long nails painted in a rich red. Hadn’t they been silver a moment ago? “I’m Cassidaya. Cas for short.”

“Well, Cas, are you looking for your starter deck.”

“I…think so?”

She laughed, a warm musical laugh that seemed to invite you to join her even if it was at your expense. “Well, you’re new here, and I’m guessing you can’t get through the first portal. You’re going to need your starting deck to do so.”

“I wasn’t sure where to start, honestly. I haven’t even tried the portal. You can’t get through the first portal without one?”

“There are actually two criteria in order to get though a portal,” she said, holding up her fingers with their green nail polish. Color changing nails, why didn’t I think of that before? “You have to have a deck that’s strong enough for the floor your trying to get into, and you have unlocked the floor from the floor below first. There are only a couple instances where it doesn’t apply, like audiences joining an arena stadium.”

“And I am guessing the higher in the building the higher the level your deck needs to be,” I said, craning my head back to look up at the many floors.

“Exactly.” She took a sip of her drink. “It’s a good way of gate keeping the different zones. Wouldn’t want to let the newbies get decimated in the upper zones before they even have a chance.”

“No, I guess not. Where can I get a starter deck?”

Vallet turned back to the barkeep and rapped the bar for attention. He turned to her with another large smile, as if none of the conversations had happened before him. “My friend here would like a starting deck, please.”

“Right away, little miss,” he said, and set the glass he had been cleaning back on the bar.

He reached under the bar and drew out three decks of cards, then laid them face down in three piles on the counter. All three had the same pattern on the back; a black background with blue lines of henna faintly glowing across the surface.

“You may cut each deck once if you like,” he explained, “then draw the top card from each pile. This will be your starting deck. One creature, one support, and one spell card. You will have to earn more cards on your own.”

“Can I lose cards once I get them?”

“Your starter deck is bound to you. You do not have to use them in your deck, but they will always be yours so that if you lose all of your cards you are not left helpless. New cards that are added to your deck can be lost in battles, and wagers, with other players. You will set the term for that battle before it is played out. In battles against monsters you are less likely to lose a card, but it can happen under specific circumstances.”

“So it is possible to lose everything in the wrong battle. Good, that just what I wanted. High stakes,” I said with a smile. It really wasn’t as interesting if there wasn’t a consequence for bad decisions.

Vallet nodded in approval, appearing to approve.

I checked the decks laid out on the counter. There was nothing outwardly visible to indicate what each of the decks were, but from the bar keeps explanation I assumed the first was a creature deck, the second would be support, though I wasn’t sure what that meant, and the last held spells. I didn’t know anything about the available creatures or spells in the game so I decided my best bet was to randomize it a bit.

I rifled through the first deck and split it in half. The top half instantly shifted to the bottom of the deck and re-stacked itself neatly. Committed, I took the top card and flipped it over.

Mongoose

Level 1

HP 20

AC 3

Bite 2

Claw 3

“Oh, mongooses are really adorable,” Vallet said.

“But is it a good card?” I asked.

“That depends on what you’re looking for. If you want something worth a lot, then no. A mongoose is a relatively common card. If you’re looking for something that will fight well, and keep earning you more cards then a mongoose can be a great first pick. The creatures are pretty cagey, and versatile in the first levels.”

“The first card should definitely be something that lets you gather more cards,” I agreed. “This will do.”

I drew the second card and flipped it over.

Chain Mail

AC 5

Durability 6

“What does the durability mean?”

“You can add the armor to any summoned creature, but if the summon is hit enough the armor will break. The card is returned to your discard pile and won’t be accessible until the next battle.”

“So it might not be the best idea to keep it on at all times because the durability could go down at the wrong time, and then it won’t be available when I need it.”

“Exactly. The armor can be equipped during a battle, as well, so you don’t have to worry about that sort of thing. And if your opponent is doing a lot of damage you might use the armor to fortify your summon until you can bring out reinforcements, or prep with the armor before going into battle.”

“I see there’s a lot of strategy in this,” I said, staring down at the two cards.

“That is what makes it so fun,” she said with a wide smile. “There are so many ways to raise the level of your cards, or capture new ones, or build out your deck. And everyone has the same chance to get the cards so there isn’t the pay-to-win creep that happens in some of the older games.”

“That’s appreciated. Speaking of paying, is there currency in Vertigo?”

“Vertigo doesn’t have its own currency, it just runs on Kronos from The Hub. There’s an auction house that you can access from any interface, or you can just sell cards directly to the Soul Deck barkeep. There are usually some players around Soul Deck who are interested in trading and selling most of the time too.”

“Good to know,” I said.

“All right,” she said, tapping the bar in front of the final deck of cards. “Let’s see the last one.”

I chuckled. “I was putting it off for a moment. The first two seemed too good, I feel like the next one can’t be that good.”

She smiled, reassuringly. “It’s okay, there are no bad cards, only bad strategies.”

From the way they were describing the game I almost believed her. You could get any number of creatures, spells, and support cards. You just had to know how to use them effectively. Finding the synergy between the different creatures would be the hardest part.

My curiosity finally won out, so I quickly cut the deck. The cards reordered themselves magically, and settled back down in front of me. Once the deck completed the shuffle I took the top card.

Entangle

Instant

Holds target creature for five seconds.

Tangle spells could be useful, especially if used with ranged weapons. A mongoose wouldn’t have a ranged weapon, but I there could be other ways to leverage it. The only thing that concerned me was the five second duration. That wasn’t a lot of time, but five seconds could sometimes be crucial.

“Perfect,” Vallet cooed. “Instants are once per battle, but they have their uses. Eventually you might get a spell card that lets you refresh your spells, or re-summon a mob. But first you have to build your deck.”

“And how do I do that?” I asked, though I had a feeling I didn’t have to ask. Vallet was there to help newcomers, and I was definitely a new comer.

“You battle creatures, and win. If you win they become a card and add to your deck. Some of them might have equipment, or spells to add as well, or you can find treasure out there. It’s a pretty open world, you can find all sorts of things, so keep an eye open.”

“Thank you. I appreciate the help.”

“No problem.” She held out her hand, brandishing a card. “If you’re ever interested in a guild let me know.”

I took the card.

Business request: Vallet Rizenloft has given you their card.

Note: Business contacts give limited access to information, including contact information that you specify, and availability. Visibility parameters can be changed under options. Do you accept?

Now her intentions were clear. Be nice to the newbies and some of them will join your guild. It was a smart tactic, and far more welcome than the usual beggars that spammed chats, and kept throwing requests at people trying to get their attention. She had been helpful, and a fount of information. I was certain she had a lot more information to give, but reserved it for her guild-mates, as she should.

Guilds weren’t normally my style, but it didn’t hurt to take the information just in case. I tapped accept and her contact moved to my list of known people. The limited information only showed me her rank of officer in the guild Bannershroud, and online status. There would be more information about guilds, and status updates on specific guild and leaders if I clicked on the specific guild, but even that would be limited information. Unless a joined the guild. Of course I wasn’t going to join just because someone was nice to me.

“We hold duels and tournaments every couple of months,” she explained. “Several of them are open to the public so you can come watch, or participate. Times and dates are listed in the forums. The next one is in two weeks, and it’s open to new people. Get yourself a few good cards and maybe I’ll see you there.”

“Maybe,” I said, giving her a smile. Even if I didn’t join the guild a tournament could be fun and was worth looking into, once I had a more rounded deck. Even just watching battles could give me some great ideas on how to fight, and what to capture. I was pretty sure the tournaments also gave the guilds a chance to see how new players handled their decks, so it wasn’t entirely altruistic. The best players would get the best sign on bonus, just like any other sport.

We bid each other safe travels, and I made my way to the first portal.

The ground floor portal had a simple entrance with a plain wood door, and torches lighting the entryway. There were no other markers indicating its level, or my ability to pass through it. But I didn’t think they needed anything to announce it since the design of the very building seemed to imply the level progression.

I stepped up to the first portal and a chime rang.

“Do you wish to be part of the Soul Deck?” asked a disembodied voice.

I was confused for a moment. The bar was called Soul Deck, and the game was Vertigo. Wasn’t it? Yet the voice seemed to think there was more than just the bar involved. It was possible the Soul Deck encompassed more than I thought, and Vertigo was just the short hand for the game.

I suppose it made sense. I was creating a deck from defeated creatures, their souls if a computer program could have a soul.

Regardless of names I wasn’t going to back away now. “Yes,” I said.

“Step through to begin your journey.”