Lazarus Cairns

[Gaynelle Beltramo]

Lazarusis the main protagonist of the game Blair Witch Vol. 2: The Legend of Coffin Rock. He is a Union soldier that was on the brink of death in 1886 and tasked to save the little girl, Robin Weaver, from the evil of the Black Hills Forest near Burkittsville, Maryland.

In 1863 Robert MacNichol, as he was named, was a man of average height and build, fair skin, blue eyes, medium-length tawny blond hair, and a short full beard. He wore a navy-blue Union officers' uniform, black leather boots with spurs, a leather pistol holster, and scabbard with the accompanying saber.

As Lazarus, his skin is extremely pale, eyes are bloodshot, and the side of his head is partially bloody and bandaged. He wears a brown leather duster coat, dark gray trousers, lack boots, and his scabbard with the accompanying saber.

During the Civil War as a soldier, Robert was a very calm, upstanding and capable man that is a natural and effective leader. After witnessing and partaking in the Battle of Gettysburg, he had seen enough of the horrors of war and made a personal vow to never let men under his command to die again. Despite his feelings on the war, he knows he is needed and dutifully carries on. His only hope was that the war would end soon so he could return home and marry his fianc.

As Lazarus, Robert had forgotten much of his former life; though some habits, feelings and memories still remained. He's well-mannered, respectful, and willing to help in times of need. As he continues to regain the memories of his former life, he understands the grave situation he's in but still selflessly gives his all to make a difference in the lives of those he can save.

Robert MacNichol was born in 1824 in Syracuse, New York. Later on in his adult life at the dawn of the Civil War, he became a soldier and fought for the Union Army. He was a combat veteran that had fought and survived many battles during the war and climbed to the rank of 1st Lieutenant. After partaking in the Battle of Gettysburg and witnessing his entire unit being killed, he had been injured and stayed in a hospital in Washington D.C. to recover. After nearly three months he was free to return to active duty, being ordered to meet up with a supply unit in Burkittsville, Maryland to oversee distribution of supplies.

The year is 1886 and deep within the Black Hills Forest of central Maryland next to a pile of dead leaves and the skeletal remains of a bovine, an urgent and disembodied voice of an old woman speaks into the mind of a wounded man wearing a Union officers' uniform. Very odd, considering that the Civil War had been over for 21 years. The voice tells him that his time isn't up and that it has need of him. Just as he is regaining consciousness, an eight-year-old girl clutching a white rabbit doll was looking at him and asking if he's ok. Now being able to stand on his feet, the girl decides to take the man to her nearby grandmother's home. The voice tells him to follow the girl, but first he pulls an officers' saber out from the pile of dead leaves and sheathes the sword.

A short time later, they exit the woods behind a humble farm and the girl excitedly tells her grandmother about who she had found in the woods and that it was just like "she" had said. The girl's grandmother was shocked to see the state the man was in and decides to fully nurse the man back to health. Just before she was about to take the man inside her house, he fell unconscious. Later on, as the man is resting in bed, a heavy fog blankets the area, and several ghosts of children stand around the bed he is sleeping in. Suddenly, the man begins to have an out-of-body experience and roams around the house. On a table in the room in the fireplace with the young girl sleeping next to it, the man finds a tarnished silver cross and it starts to glow in his hand. He uses it to cast away three of the ghosts, but one appears in the lit fireplace and tells the man in a demonic voice that "she" is too late and to keep away from the girl he has claimed. The little girl goes to the sleeping man and says that she has to go now, that the lady from the woods is calling her. The urgent voice of the old woman speaks to the man again, saying that the girl is in great danger. He awakens in fright and confusion. The girl's grandmother is in the room at the foot of the bed, and he asks where the girl has gone. She calms him and explains the situation while introducing herself as Bess Weaver. The man is unable to remember his own name due to the gunshot wound across the side of his head. Bess takes it upon herself to give him the temporary name Lazarus, comparing him to the biblical figure. He accepts it and begins to sit up in the bed and asks about his uniform. Bess had supposedly burned it due to being caked in dirt and blood. Instead, she had given Lazarus clothes that once belonged to her son, Jimmy, before he died of mysterious circumstances in 1881, though Bess strongly believes it was the woods that killed him. Lazarus is reluctant and feels bad about wearing the clothes, but Bess insists and wants him to repay her by finding Robin and bringing her back home. A search party is being formed later on in the day and she says that they're all heading to their deaths. She continuously begs and explains the danger the woods pose and that he's the only one that can save her. Eventually Lazarus agrees much to her relief. As a final gift, she gives him the pistol that Jimmy had bought just before he died and is allowed to rummage around the house for anything that'll help in his search. She recommends going out behind the barn and practice firing the gun on some cans. Making his way outside behind the barn after picking up the pistol, he fires at three cans perched on a fence and after hitting the third can, he falls to the ground unconscious.

A memory has resurfaced from within Lazarus' mind. 23 years prior in the midst of the Civil War, Lt. Robert MacNichol had been released from a hospital after surviving the Battle of Gettysburg and had just gotten orders to meet up with a supply unit in Burkittsville, Maryland. He is writing in a journal to his fianc, Anne Forrester, about his current situation and plans to mail the journal to her once it is filled and promises to marry her once the war is over. After walking for some time, he arrives at what would eventually become the Weaver farm, but it is vacant and abandoned and a few Confederate soldiers are prowling the area to raid for supplies. After dispatching them all, he decides to report his findings to the Major in town.

Lazarus reawakens to the sound of Bess' concerned voice. After affirming that he is alright, he wants to hurry into town and find Robin, believing she is the key to unlocking his memory. As parting advice, she tells him about a young man in town named Peter Durant, and that he could tell him everything he needed to know about the local area. Lastly, she warns him again about joining with the search party. Lazarus departs from the farm and walks the road that leads into town, before getting there, he is abruptly attacked by a few Demon Dogs that block his way. Once on the edge of town, Lazarus meets up with a team of six men, Peter Durant is the first to greet him. Some of the men are unsure or untrusting of him as he is a stranger to the area and showed up around the time Robin disappeared. He was still offered to join but declined and wanted to look for the girl on his own. Parson Vance, the town pastor, approached Lazarus and wanted to meet up and talk about the church once the situation with Robin was over. Suddenly, Lazarus began to feel lightheaded and groaned. Peter stepped in and told the group to go ahead with the search so he could take care of the man and send him out later on. They both walk inside the library and Peter tells Lazarus to not mind what the men are saying and that tensions are just high because of resurfaced superstitions about the woods being haunted. But before Lazarus could sit and rest, he faints, and another memory comes rushing back.

Another old memory has come back, Lazarus, then named Robert MacNichol, is sitting in the library 23 years prior writing in his journal and awaiting to speak to his commanding officer. Soon after, he's called in and reports to Major Thomas Belling. He explains to Robert that he is needed to lead a small squad of men near the woods not far from the town to report on the activities of the rebel foragers and dispatch them if necessary. Robert is reluctant to be sent on an assignment so soon after the battle of Gettysburg but pulls himself together after being directly ordered and leaves immediately. He walks just outside the library and meets the men under his command: Private Mosley, Private "Skunk" Moore, and Corporal Newhouse.

Lazarus comes back to reality at the sound of Peter's concerned voice. After a short conversation about his involvement with the Weaver's and the peculiar history of Burkittsville, Lazarus heads to the outskirts of town to continue his search. He comes to a disassembled railroad crossing and finds an old lantern in a small shack. After picking it up, the ghosts of two Confederate soldiers hover towards him.

After setting out to the town outskirts, Robert and his small group of men come across Rebel soldiers tearing up a section of railroad tracks. They quietly spread out and take firing positions to ambush the Rebels. After killing them all, Pvt. "Skunk" spots one last Rebel retreating into the woods and gives chase.

After some time, Lazarus wakes from his unconsciousness and find an old, withered man standing close by and asking if he is alright. Lazarus asks who the man is, and the old man introduces himself as Steuben, a blind hermit that immigrated to the area years ago and built himself a house in the woods close to an old cemetery. He encourages Lazarus to go look for Robin in the woods but just thinks she's just lost and not in any real danger, but since it is close to sunset that Lazarus may have to spend the night in the woods. However, Steuben promised that if she ever came by his house that he'd send her home. Suddenly after their conversation, soft crying could be heard, and Robin is seen running into the woods and Lazarus quickly follows behind with Rebel ghosts attempting to block his path. Lazarus reaches a small ravine not far within the forest and hears a child giggle and rocks falling off from the edge of the ravine.

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