Amnesiac
You are afflicted by severe memory loss, either through brain trauma or mental illness. You recall nothing about your life before a certain point in time (determined jointly by you and the GM; for maximum suspense, very close to the start of the storyline). You still remember how to accomplish everyday tasks, however, you take a -2 penalty to use any skills until the GM deems you acclimated to the new situation. Also see the note on Photographic Memory.
The creation of an Amnesiac character places a number of limitations on the player and opens many doors in the story; players should consult closely with the GM to determine the fair boundaries of what or who might pop up from the character's "old" life, and whether memory might ever be fully restored. For even more complication, the player might elect to let the GM herself decide the character's forgotten skills and history, so that they'll be as much as surprise to the player as to his character when they're revealed!