RESIDENT EVIL: LAZARUS
You only live twice:
Once when you are born
And once when you look death in the face
Ian Fleming
You only live twice:
Once when you are born
And once when you look death in the face
Ian Fleming
Rules & Guidelines
1. Keep all OOC chatter to a minimum. Only use OOC notes if accompanied by an IC post, and only if it is on-topic to the game. If OOC chatter becomes necessary, we may create a chat on Messenger.
2. No godmoding. Godmoding encompasses a wide range of unacceptable role-playing behaviours, including creating an invincible or overpowered character, taking control of and writing the overall plot or environment oneself (which is the GM's job), taking control of another player's character without their permission (referred to as godmodding), or otherwise playing the RPG as if one has activated "Cheat mode" or "Godmode'' in a video game, exerting excessive power or influence beyond one's own character.
While most forms of godmoding are explicit, there can be more implicit but no less offensive forms, such as describing another player character as weak and cringing when they are actually standing tall and proud, or hurrying through the game at an excessive pace, such as navigating an entire tomb to successfully retrieve an objective in a single post, entirely bypassing the GM's ability to gradually unveil the environment you will be exploring, and its associated puzzles, traps and enemies.
3. No autohitting. Autohitting is a form of godmoding wherein a player hits an enemy, whether it be a GM-controlled NPC or another player character, without permission from either the GM or the player. Instead, all attacks against an enemy must be described as attempted attacks, rather than successful attacks. The stats system, associated dice system, GM verdicts and the interplay of writing combat (such as attempting to trap an enemy into being unable to plausibly escape an attack without godmoding) will determine success, not you.
4. No metagaming. Metagaming comprises a player character possessing knowledge he or she realistically should not. This includes 'meta' knowledge (out-of-universe knowledge) that the player would know but the character would not, such as knowledge of the role-playing mechanics and its implications for combat, knowledge of obscure Resident Evil lore, or game-related secrets that the character would not plausibly know (for example, that the Mold originated beneath Mother Miranda’s village), or knowledge of what another character is thinking, feeling or planning simply because another role-player described it in their post. While most examples are explicit, there can be more implicit forms; a player character who seems to conveniently know things, guess things, deduce things, or escape things using what is clearly out-of-universe knowledge will not be long tolerated.
5. The GM is the ultimate and sole authority in this RPG. The GM is yours truly, the game creator; there may, or may not, be sub-GMs created at a later point. The GM has the final say in everything. That means there is absolutely no arguing with the GM, whether it be over a verdict in combat or other GM call, creative control of the overall story and environment, an element of the game mechanics not to your preference, the level assigned to you at game start, or friendly reminders to post in a timely manner.
It also means you enter this game, and potentially depart this game, at the sole discretion of the GM. If I, and I alone, deem you to be a negative influence on the game, it will be my decision to remove you, and there will be no arguing with or appealing that decision. If I deem you to have been a negative influence in the past, or otherwise likely to cause problems in the game, it will be solely my decision as to whether or not you join this game, and I will brook no arguments or complaints over my decisions in these areas.
6. PM me on Messenger which character you wish to play as if you are interested in playing.
Setting
Lazarus is set in to begin on the date of January 9, 2021 of the Resident Evil universe (approximately a month before the events of Resident Evil Village, and three years after the events of Resident Evil 7).
From the 1970s to the 1990s, the Umbrella Corporation aided the United States government in providing bioweapons research, contrary to the 1972 Bioweapons Convention. In September 1998, a viral weapon, a modified ε strain known as the T-virus, leaked into Raccoon City's drinking supply and mutated tens of thousands into creatures dubbed "Zombies". To both halt the spread and cover up the research, the President ordered an experimental thermobaric weapon to be fired into the heart of the city on the morning of October 1st. With the existence of bio-weaponry kept a secret, the US government formed a policy of shifting all blame for the 100,000 deaths onto Umbrella. Umbrella was banned from conducting business within the United States, and a class-action lawsuit on behalf of the victims' families went underway. This case, dubbed the "Raccoon Trials", finally ended in 2003 with Umbrella being found criminally-liable, and international orders for the arrest of executives were made. Umbrella Pharmaceuticals declared bankruptcy, with its subsidiaries following suit over the year. While some may have been acquired by other companies, the controversial nature meant that in the case of Umbrella Japan, no buyer could be found and it was instead liquidated in March 2004.
Following the 2004 Terragrigia Panic, knowledge of Bio Organic Weapons became public knowledge, and the threat of bioterrorist groups acquiring such weaponry intensified. To ready itself for a new stage in the ongoing War on Terror, Chapter 11 Reorganization was invoked on Umbrella U.S.A.'s assets in 2007, and the company began doing business once more under a new executive consisting of former employees trusted by the US government.
In its revived form, Umbrella changed their logo to blue to indicate its separation from its predecessor, but the company kept its original name to make it clear that they intended to clean up the mess it had created. Tasked with assisting in the War on Terror using the Umbrella Archives obtained by the government in 2003, Blue Umbrella began studying effective means of tackling B.O.W.s. Forbidden by the UN to re-activate the Umbrella Security Service, combat duties were to be handed to internationally-recognized anti-B.O.W. organisations such as the BSAA (Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance). In operations where Blue Umbrella was involved, BSAA operators were to be armed with Blue Umbrella's anti-B.O.W. weapons, and had access to combat data on the "Umbrella Arsenal System''.
Despite the positive track records, a lot of people, especially Chris Redfield still distrust them. But that has not stopped the company from spreading across the globe, expanding their markets beyond combatting the bioweapon threat. One such expansion was a push for higher education across the planet, beginning with three privately owned universities: Spencer University in London (England), Ashford Academy in Seoul (South Korea), and Marcus University in San Diego (USA). To promote unity among the schools, fifteen students - five from each college and randomly picked - are being given the opportunity of a lifetime to visit a Blue Umbrella laboratory in Scotland. Most everyone knows that it is little more than a PR stunt, but any positive news was welcome news for the mid-redemption Umbrella Corporation.
By the end of this field trip, however, Umbrella would have wished these students stayed at home. . .
Orientation for New Players
Gameplay takes the form of text-based role-playing, specifically called T1 role-playing, with each player advancing the story by posting updates within this thread, describing the thoughts, actions, and feelings of their characters as if writing a chapter of a collaborative novel from their character's perspective. Other players contribute their own characters' actions and perspectives with their own posts, and the Gamemaster, or GM, provides the overall environment, direction, and moderation of the game, including non-player characters, like the level design and artificial intelligence of a video game.
Updates are expected to be at least two paragraphs in length, with a preference for detail and quality; many players write posts of considerable length, totalling thousands of words. Role-playing, accordingly, tends to be at a slower pace; an update is required every week by the customary deadline of Sunday night, responding to both your fellow players and the GM's weekly updates, which are typically posted at the start of the week.
This story may be separated into multiple strands of storyline called “tagsets.” Each tagset is a group of different players, tagged separately from another grouping by the GM (although GM updates tend to include posts, and according tags, for multiple tagsets, each separated by a clear divider), usually correlating with a specific, separate location, adventure or quest. Each tagset is rather like a campaign in Dungeons & Dragons, or a chapter with a radically different point-of-view, location and characters within the same novel or film (such as The Lord of the Rings). However, tagsets are understood to be part of the same overall game, to be largely happening at the same time, and are flexible and fluid; most tagsets evolve and diverge from an initial, larger tagset, and many tagsets meet, combine, exchange players or collapse upon the completion of a quest or plotline.
Separating in-character (IC) gameplay from out-of-character (OOC) interaction is absolutely necessary to play this game. From a logistical standpoint, we do so by using different notations. At the top of every post, before the main body of your writing, you should write the following:
IC: Your character's name
Your character's location
All of your writing beneath this header should be entirely in-character; no OOC commentary or explanations, even in parentheses, should be embedded within the text.
You should finish your post by tagging the other players in your tagset (not all players within the entire game; look to the tags within the GM's own update to see which players are in your tagset), as well as the GM, beneath the main body of your post. You do this by typing the @ sign, and the username of the player you wish to tag; their username will appear in a drop-down menu, allowing you to click on the player. This will mean they will receive a notification when you tag them (and vice versa). Use the following format when writing your tags:
TAG: @Another Player, @Another Player, etc
You may write OOC commentary outside the main body of your post, either after the TAGs, or before the IC header. OOC commentary may include a list of abilities used during combat, a note of clarification, or simply a relevant comment. If you do write OOC commentary, use the format of the following example:
OOC: (Items used: 3 Handgun Rounds, 1 Green Herb.) I’m not diving behind Mason, by thee way. Just taking cover by the wall!
More importantly, however, in-character and out-of-character interactions must be wholly separated in terms of mindset. Aside from the aforementioned rule barring metagaming, it is important to remember this is just a game, and that all in-character interactions are purely and strictly for storytelling purposes. In-character immersion is absolute; players should play their characters entirely realistically and true-to-character, no matter where that takes them.
In-game death has no out-of-character meaning. A character might die because they got unlucky with a trap, took the risk of fighting a boss without proper help or weaponry, and so on.
Permanent death is one of the many realistic consequences within this game; the stakes are real, and if your character dies, they are lost forever (barring certain storytelling devices). That said, death is uncommon overall; particularly foolish or risky gameplay tends to be required to incur a lethal outcome, although any kind of combat, whether it be with a player character or a non-player character, does carry the risk of injury and death.
Tonally and stylistically, this game is meant to reflect a realistic take on the Resident Evil universe (as realistic as you can get, anyhow). The plot will not be tweaked to save you from death. Story is not prioritized above realism. Every action you take has a consequence; the GM will not metagame to spare you from the most utterly realistic consequences to your actions, no matter how much he likes you out-of-character. Again, the separation between in-character and out-of-character is absolute.
At the same time, the GM will not metagame in favour of being excessively sadistic, either; gameplay is not intrinsically set against you. Rather, the game strives to be as realistic as possible, as if this world of biological terror was a real place.
The rating of the game is equivalent to a film rating of R (Restricted), or a video game rating of M (Mature). Mature, dark and/or heavy themes and content, including but not limited to graphic violence, narcotic usage, profanity, sex, and disturbing encounters are permitted within the writing, without use of content warnings or the like. That said, use of mature themes should be tasteful and literary in nature; X-rated smut is not the goal, nor is pointlessly offensive writing with the sole goal of being "edgy."
Game Mechanics
Certain actions that a player takes within this game will be determined via dice roll. Factors, such as your character’s physical attributes, weapon conditions, environmental conditions, and so on, will influence these rolls. For instance, if the GM rolls a d20 for your attempt at headshotting a zombie and rolls a 15, the -5 debuff of your rusty handgun and your below-average Dexterity will result in a miss.
Attributes play a large part in differentiating characters at the start of the game. Leveling up an attribute only occurs with repeated usage of an attribute (i.e. successfully climbing a wall slightly increases Dexterity, successfully lifting an obstacle slightly increases Strength, etc.). Injuries sustained can negatively affect attributes, with minor injuries (non-lethal gunshot, bite, etc.) being healable by herbs or first aid kits, while major injuries (severed limbs, paralysis, etc.) are permanent and will severely impact your attributes. Basic needs will also need to be met over in-game time (which passes at GM discretion, and is indicated with every GM post). Going too long without food, water, or sleep will provide major penalties to your attributes.
Each character has an innate Active Ability and Passive Ability. Active Abilities are “powers” that you can actively use, whereas Passive Abilities are “powers” that you unconsciously use. For instance, a Burst of Strength ability (Active) would enable a temporary +5 Strength Attribute, while a Deadlifter ability (Passive) would naturally have +2 Strength anytime they lift something so long as they do not lift it above their head. Abilities can be gained if your character becomes infected, but without a serum or natural immunity, those abilities can come at the cost of your character’s well-being.
Attributes
Each attribute has a minimum of 1 up to a maximum of 10 points. Level 5 in any attribute is meant to represent the average human. Anything exceeding 10 points (due to abilities, etc.) would be considered superhuman.
The attributes are as follows:
STRENGTH - This attribute governs your character’s physical strength, influencing their ability to interact with obstacles, their melee weapon damage, and their ability to use heavy weaponry.
PERCEPTION - This attribute governs your character’s ability to sense their surroundings, hearing approaching enemies, seeing traps, and reading the fine print on an Umbrella contract.
STAMINA - This attribute governs how quickly your character fatigues, allowing them to run further, fight longer, and… yeah, you get the idea.
DEXTERITY - This attribute governs your character’s agility as well as their accuracy when using any weapon - from trying to nail a headshot with a rifle to try to slice an artery with a knife.
INTELLIGENCE - This attribute governs your character’s mental prowess, from their ability to hack a terminal, crack a code, or disable traps that await them.
LUCK - This attribute governs your character’s overall ability, and can be quite the tide turner should everything else go wrong.
THE CAST OF RESIDENT EVIL: LAZARUS
A “[ ]” above a character’s name means they are available to be selected. A “[✓]” means they have already been selected. A “[X]” means they are dead.
MARCUS UNIVERSITY
A “[ ]” above a character’s name means they are available to be selected. A “[✓]” means they have already been selected. A “[X]” means they are dead.
MARCUS UNIVERSITY
1. [X]
Name: Alexandria “Alex” Rodriguez
Age: 22
Gender: Female
Major: Psychology
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Height: 5’3”
Weight: 126 lb.
Friend(s): Jon, Tamia
Backstory: Life was sweet for little Alexandria until her mother and father divorced, prompting her devotion to studying human psychology. After all, if she learns what makes people tick, she can prevent them from leaving her again, right? Right?
Active Ability: Mind Reader - once per in-game hour, she can read a person well enough to discern their deepest thoughts
Passive Ability: Insightful - +1 boost to Perception when reading someone’s expressions
Attributes
- Strength: 3
- Perception: 7
- Stamina: 5
- Dexterity: 4
- Intelligence: 6
- Luck: 5
2. [X]
Name: Jonathan “Jon” Jackson
Age: 20
Gender: Male
Major: Athletic Training
Hometown: Reno, Nevada
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 215 lb.
Friend(s): Alex
Backstory: Jon was inspired by the all-time greatest football players in history, and had always wanted a shot at becoming like his heroes. Was there any brighter future than getting paid millions to do what you love? But he never has gotten lucky enough to get spotted yet…
Active Ability: Offense, Baby! - once per fight, he can tackle any bipedal enemy off their feet
Passive Ability: Star Quarterback - +1 boost to both Strength and Dexterity when throwing an object
Attributes
- Strength: 9
- Perception: 4
- Stamina: 6
- Dexterity: 5
- Intelligence: 4
- Luck: 2
3. [X]
Name: Tamia Hargrove
Age: 19
Gender: Female
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Hometown: Seattle, Washington
Height: 5’6”
Weight: 141 lb.
Friend(s): Alex, Matt
Backstory: Always the gifted child, Tamia always knew that she wanted to study biology and the ways it could be enhanced with technology. Stories about the outbreaks caused by bioterrorists weren’t scary to her, no. They were inspirational!
Active Ability: Simple Biology - once per fight, she is able to locate an enemy’s weakpoint
Passive Ability: Do Not Create What You Cannot Destroy - ×2 DMG to non-bipedal B.O.Ws
Attributes
- Strength: 2
- Perception: 5
- Stamina: 3
- Dexterity: 4
- Intelligence: 10
- Luck: 6
4. [✓]
Name: Matthew “Matt” Heyward
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Major: Automotive Engineering
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 190 lb.
Friend(s): Tamia
Backstory: His family never was too happy that he moved out to California for college, but he’d never forget the good times he had back home. Fixing up the old Corvette with mama, shooting targets at the range with pa. That was the good life.
Active Ability: Don’t Tread On Me! - once per fight, enemies within ten feet of him instinctively move back rather than move closer
Passive Ability: Rifleman - +2 Dexterity when using a non-automatic rifle
Attributes
- Strength: 5
- Perception: 5
- Stamina: 5
- Dexterity: 8
- Intelligence: 2
- Luck: 5
5. [X]
Name: Noah Stratford
Age: 22
Gender: Male
Major: Theater Arts
Hometown: Sacramento, California
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 159 lb.
Friend(s): N/A
Backstory: Noah is a man dedicated to his craft. He was raised on the stage, hell, he believes he was born to be on the stage. Maybe the publicity of this trip will be his first big break?
Active Ability: Play Dead - he can act as if he’s been killed, though this does not work on the same enemy twice
Passive Ability: Break A Leg! - can walk on (minor) injured legs without an attribute penalty
Attributes
- Strength: 4
- Perception: 7
- Stamina: 5
- Dexterity: 6
- Intelligence: 4
- Luck: 4
ASHFORD ACADEMY
1. [ ]
Name: Bon-Hwa Bu
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Major: Mass Communications
Hometown: Busan, South Korea
Height: 5’7”
Weight: 145 lb.
Friend(s): N/A
Backstory: Born to a wealthy family in South Korea, Bon-Hwa wants nothing more than to fit into his father’s vision of normalcy. But there always seems to be something dark inside him. On the verge of frenzy, he’s barely able to contain his violent urges.
Active Ability: That’s Bone - once per fight, he can score a bone-snapping critical hit with a melee weapon
Passive Ability: Korean Psycho - +2 Strength when wielding a melee weapon
Attributes
- Strength: 8
- Perception: 3
- Stamina: 3
- Dexterity: 6
- Intelligence: 5
- Luck: 5
2. [ ]
Name: Hae Pung
Age: 21
Gender: Female
Major: Child Development
Hometown: Suwon-si, South Korea
Height: 5’1”
Weight: 125 lb.
Friend(s): Dong-Mei, Mark, Elizabeth
Backstory: There is no more gentle of a soul on the planet Earth than Hae Pung. Perhaps it’s because of the abusive childhood, but she does not want anyone around her to suffer in the slightest. Real lamb in the wolve’s den, this one.
Active Ability: Beast Whisperer - once per fight, a non-bipedal enemy will lose interest with the party and flee (does not work on the same enemy twice)
Passive Ability: Good Karma - +2 Luck for three turns after committing a selfless act (does not stack)
Attributes
- Strength: 4
- Perception: 4
- Stamina: 5
- Dexterity: 4
- Intelligence: 5
- Luck: 8
3. [ ]
Name: Mark Weber
Age: 34
Gender: Male
Major: Computer Science & Programming
Hometown: Kapolei, Hawaii
Height: 5’9”
Weight: 181 lb.
Friend(s): Hae, Elizabeth
Backstory: Mark has always lived life by his pace, deciding to try streaming video games rather than go to college like his parents wanted. After failing at that, Mark decided it was time for a drastic change. Moving countries and taking a major you hate is certainly a change, alright.
Active Ability: Bite of ‘87 - biting his own arm (without being seen) can convince intelligent B.O.Ws that he is already infected
Passive Ability: Edge of Sleep - +5 Perception if he stays awake for 24 hours without sleep/being knocked unconscious, -4 Perception if he stays awake 26+ hours
Attributes
- Strength: 6
- Perception: 5
- Stamina: 3
- Dexterity: 6
- Intelligence: 7
- Luck: 3
4. [ ]
Name: Elizabeth Jones
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Major: Sport & Fitness Administration
Hometown: Lethbridge, Alberta (Canada)
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 148 lb.
Friend(s): Mark, Hae
Backstory: Elizabeth was born to run. A track prodigy since she was a child, her parents pushed her all across Canada to show off her talents. But now she wants to settle down at one college, to escape her overbearing parents across the Pacific Ocean.
Active Ability: Run, Girl, Run - temporarily increases movement speed by 50%
Passive Ability: Pain Train - ×2 DMG with melee weapons while running
Attributes
- Strength: 5
- Perception: 3
- Stamina: 9
- Dexterity: 5
- Intelligence: 4
- Luck: 4
5. [ ]
Name: Dong-Mei
Age: 26
Gender: Female
Major: Fashion Merchandising
Hometown: Hong Kong, China
Height: 5’5”
Weight: 132 lb.
Friend(s): Hae
Backstory: Ever since she was a kid, Dong-Mei was thinking up and sketching new dresses, new looks that only the bold could wear. Since then her tastes have mellowed, but that creative spark has never left her. There’s nothing she can’t do with a needle and thread.
Active Ability: Stitch the Wound - when not in combat, she can sew other people’s (minor) wounds
Passive Ability: Fashionable Meets Practical - her clothes are able to resist knives and other sharp tools (does not protect from blunt-force trauma or bullets)
Attributes
- Strength: 3
- Perception: 6
- Stamina: 2
- Dexterity: 9
- Intelligence: 5
- Luck: 5
SPENCER UNIVERSITY
1. [✓]
Name: Edwin “Ed” Thomas
Age: 21
Gender: Male
Major: Law
Hometown: Blackpool, England
Height: 5’9”
Weight: 175 lb.
Friend(s): Brienne
Backstory: Cults have always been a mainstay in modern society. Edwin’s parents found purpose in old gods that didn’t exist, so thankfully for him, he got the hell out of that life. But he’s always felt someone was watching over him regardless, someone he doesn’t want around…
Active Ability: What Is Dead May Eternal Lie - upon activation, ×3 DMG against undead for three turns
Passive Ability: Cult of Personality - +2 Intelligence when speaking to strangers
Attributes
- Strength: 2
- Perception: 7
- Stamina: 6
- Dexterity: 2
- Intelligence: 6
- Luck: 7
2. [X]
Name: Brienne Samson
Age: 23
Gender: Female
Major: Music Education
Hometown: Aberdeen, Scotland
Height: 5’8”
Weight: 152 lb.
Friend(s): Edwin, Cara
Backstory: Born to a nice family, Brienne has never really known hardship. She was always the “mom friend” among her circle, taking leadership head-on. Her love of playing the clarinet was influenced by a childhood cartoon, but she’d never tell you.
Active Ability: Second Wind - upon activation, +3 Stamina for three turns
Passive Ability: Local Girl - will receive messages from the GM, gaining insight on the environment,, and culture of the locals
Attributes
- Strength: 5
- Perception: 4
- Stamina: 7
- Dexterity: 5
- Intelligence: 5
- Luck: 4
3. [X]
Name: Cara McMillan
Age: 27
Gender: Female
Major: History
Hometown: Belfast, Ireland
Height: 5’0”
Weight: 120 lb.
Friend(s): Brienne
Backstory: Cara was raised in the quintessential Irish Catholic family. She takes her faith seriously, and she finds the history of Western Europe to be immensely interesting. If only she knew she’d become part of it.
Active Ability: God’s Guidance - once activated, +1 to both Intelligence and Luck for three turns
Passive Ability: History Buff - will receive messages from the GM, gaining insight on historical events and locations
Attributes
- Strength: 1
- Perception: 8
- Stamina: 3
- Dexterity: 2
- Intelligence: 8
- Luck: 8
4. [✓]
Name: Johannes “Joe” Nkosi
Age: 24
Gender: Male
Major: Medicine
Hometown: Soweto, South Africa
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 190 lb.
Friend(s): Nikolai
Backstory: Who would have thought that a kid from rags would one day be on his way to being one of the best doctors in his entire country? Joe takes pride in his accomplishments, perhaps too much pride. But he has the skills to pay the bills.
Active Ability: Clear! - once per game, he is able to revive a dead player
Passive Ability: Expert Medic - +1 to both Dexterity and Intelligence when healing himself or another character
Attributes
- Strength: 2
- Perception: 6
- Stamina: 2
- Dexterity: 6
- Intelligence: 9
- Luck: 5
5. [✓]
Name: Nikolai Petrov
Age: 26
Gender: Male
Major: Military Technologies
Hometown: Chelyabinsk, Russia
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 232 lb.
Friend(s): Joe
Backstory: Raised on the hard streets of Russia, Nikolai turned away from a life of petty crime to join the military. He did well, earning the respect of his officers and fellow enlisted. Studying at university now, he hopes to return home a new man, one that will make his father proud.
Active Ability: Bullets Like Rain - able to craft handgun ammo with gunpowder and scrap
Passive Ability: The Russian Way - when inebriated, +2 Dexterity
Attributes
- Strength: 8
- Perception: 4
- Stamina: 5
- Dexterity: 8
- Intelligence: 2
- Luck: 3
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