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My own snoring woke me up. It took a split second for me realize that I had fallen asleep outdoors, but that wasn't unusual. I love camping out and "roughing it" as we say in America. What was unusual was the fact that I had been sleeping in an alleyway behind a trash bin.

My best recollection of the night before had involved a buffet and a briefing. I must have dozed off during the slide show, because after that I remember nothing. Well, that's not true. I actually remember dreaming a lot, mostly elves and orcs and goblins and such -- mythological fantasy stuff.

Being fully alert when I awaken, thanks to years of military training, I decided to take stock of my situation. I am wearing the same clothes I wore to the briefing. The rest of my gear is absent. I am uninjured. I am hungry. I need a bathroom. My room key is in my pocket, exactly where I left it. My wallet is still in my back pocket, and nothing appears to be missing from it. My watch says it is precisely 6:58:12, Saturday ... so I can't account for approximately eight hours of missing time.

I found five cards in my other pockets. They had paintings and numbers and names on them: 9 The Seer, 13 Rebirth, 18 The Moon, 19 The Sun, and 20 Transcendence.

They looked like tarot cards to me, but not from any deck I recognized ... not that I'm an expert on that sort of thing. I wondered how (and why) I came to possess these cards. And, why do I feel drawn into the image on the last card?

I can understand losing track of time while sleeping. I don't remember ever losing track of time while awake, or ever blacking out. Something in the buffet must have been drugged. I didn't drink alcohol. Or did I? I usually don't. And, the most alcohol has ever done is make me dizzy, gabby, and sick to my stomach with a headache the next morning.

I don't have a headache. I don't feel sick to my stomach. That means one of two things: I don't have a hangover, or I don't have a hangover yet! To test my theory, I stood up and tested my coordination and sense of balance, and was pleased to discover that I appear to be in perfect health ... except for a minor case of hiccoughs.

I dusted myself off, straightened my clothes and hair, and wandered out of the alley trying to look as inconspicous as possible. "Aha!" I declared, when I discovered that I was within a stone's throw of the hotel with the banner proclaiming it as the site of the Larian Conclave.

Within ten minutes, I'll be showered, shaved, and suitably attired for breakfast.

I hope I didn't do anything to embarass myself last night. Other than sleeping in an alley, that is.