The sun begins to set as you trek through the lush forest of Nerdim on the road to Fandalin. Weary from travel, you rub your tired eyes and look ahead for a place to make camp for the night. You hope to see the soft light of a tavern or inn in the distance, but are unable to see any signs of civilization yet. The forest is dense and vast, and your journey through it has passed days in number and stretched to weeks. Listening to your own footfalls on the beaten path, you begin to reflect on your reasons for braving the forest road on foot instead of by faster means of travel.

Lost in thought, you neglect the sound of a second set of footfalls shadowing your own. By the time you realize that someone has gotten the drop on you, it's too late. You are struck from behind by a heavy, blunt object.

Before you slip into unconsciousness, you feel yourself being scooped up off of the ground by your attacker. You hear the assailant say in a whisper, "Yes, this one will do nicely." The last thing you note is the feeling of the ropes being tied around you as you're bound and packaged for transport.

After a dreamless sleep, and with a throbbing headache, you awaken in a cell, unable to remember how you got there. Rubbing the knot on the back of your head as you pick yourself up off the hard floor, you realize that you've even forgotten your own identity! Putting aside the panic of amnesia for now, you check your surroundings. The cell you're in is quite plain, made of gray brick and a small, barred window near the ceiling that lets a minimal amount of light into the room. The door to the cell to your left appears to be too sturdy to break through, made of heavy wood and reinforced with iron.

At first glance, the cell seems inescapable. However, you decide to explore all options and walk over to the door. You push on it, and to your surprise it creaks open. You step into an empty hall full of similar cells to your own. Somewhere close by, you hear the dull roar of a cheering crowd. Looking left, toward the sound, you see daylight at the end of the hallway. You make your way toward the exit of the cell block and step out onto the ground floor of a massive arena.