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I awaken in the forest, on the edge of a ruined city. High towers of crumbling stone, shattered glass, and rusting steel stand solemn sentinel over the uncounted graves of an age of glory long succumbed to some slow decline and final paroxysm of low level civil unrest. What is left is the ashes of a wonder, this pace a shattered shadow of the marvel it must have been in its hey-day. The trees here are old and mighty giants untouched by the hand of man for several decades at least. Everywhere the powers of nature are striding back into the lands that were once theirs to snatch back their birthright from the intruding 'concrete jungle' wrought by the hands of men.

My head hurts abominably, as though it has been stuck by a large blunt object. The light of the sun overhead hurts my eyes. (Much as I imagine it would had I drunk to the point I blacked out the previous night.) I fight down nausea and close my eyes, slowing my breathing to deep drafts of air which serve to steady me. As the pounding in my head subsides I realize I do not know where I am, or for that matter WHO I am.

I decide I will call myself "Nemo" for (though I don't know how I know this) this name means "No One". I also remember that I must needs have a "Surname" which are commonly based on the place name from which one's ancestors hailed. Try as I might I can remember nothing of my ancestors, not even my father and mother who I sense were dear to me, but are now gone. I think on this problem and hit on a solution: my "Surname" will be "of Utopia" for "Utopia" means "Nowhere".

I am "Nemo of Utopia", "No-One of Nowhere", a blank. One key fact about my past is vouchsafed to me clearly however: I am a Hero. I fight the good fight, protect the weak, and defend the cause of Truth, Justice, Good, and the Law. (Though I don't know where I am, nor what laws prevail here, and law is listed below justice because not all laws are just...)

Standing up, I would first take a moment to look over what I carry, but from off to my left there is a scream! A woman is in trouble, and it is my duty to help!

I run towards the screaming and shortly come upon...