Lazarus/Paradox

''“Show those rocks the respect they deserve. They're a hell of a lot older than you.”''

Marcellus' best friend, Sonya's caretaker, and retired hero, Lazarus is now a drunken bum, living in Iliasville. He makes a habit of going into other towns to cause trouble and getting together with his buddies to play some poker. When he's not doing that, he's a member of the mafia organization in the criminal underworld. Merlin often stands in for Lazarus when meeting guests, as they usually conclude that Merlin is the Don Father and thus leaves Lazarus free.

Recruitment
After the events at Grangold Castle, you can find both Lazarus and Merlin drinking at the pub in Gold Port. Speak to them and they'll join the party.

Biography
Before Luka set out on his adventure, Lazarus was one of Marcellus's travelling companions. He was often peevish, but he was kind at heart, and a great swordsman. In the end, he wore out his right arm while adventuring with Marcellus, and he could barely fight with it. By the time they returned to Iliasville, his arm was near useless in any situation. But he didn't care. He was just happy to have survived his travels. But when Marcellus left the village to 'drive the darkness out', he had an emotional breakdown. Marcellus had gone on an adventure on his own and never returned.

Despite all that, he still took care of Luka after Lucifina died. He did the same for Sonya after Karen and her father perished in the landslide. Lazarus often trained Sonya to use a club, but he would never teach Luka any sword skills. These days, it's Sonya who looks after Lazarus.

You potentially meet Lazarus for the first time when exploring Iliasville. Although, it's hardly meeting. He's fast asleep, and the house is cluttered with weeds, rocks, porno mags, and liquor bottles.

Assuming you've solved the commotion with the slimes, you can return to his home, and Sonya will wake him up. He gets up and greets both Sonya and Luka, and wishes Luka luck on his adventure. You can ask him some questions.

Asking him about Marcellus is a sensitive subject for him. He mostly just grumbles about how Marcellus left his wife and child to go adventuring and never come back, without going into greater detail than he had to save the world. Lazarus knew that Lucifina knew why Marcellus had to go on another adventure, but she never told anyone. Even when she was dying, Marcellus didn't come back.

Asking him about Sonya and he will talk about his adventures. It started with Merlin, Karen, Marcellus, and Lazarus going out on an adventure together to help the people in the wake of the Great Disaster. Over time, Lazarus had lost the power in his right arm, so Lazarus and Marcellus returned to Iliasville. Karen and Merlin also went back to their hometowns.

When Karen returned, she married a doctor and soon after being together, they had a child named Sonya. But shortly after she was born, a landslide occurred in a neighboring village, and this was when natural disasters were still common in the world. Both Karen and her husband went to the village to help the villagers, and they saved a lot of them. The couple always had been kind people, and always wanted to help people in need, but they went too far this time and lost their lives while helping the villagers.

Since Sonya had no other relatives, it was Lazarus who took her in and eventually Luka as well when his mother died.

If you talk to him about the rumors, he will deny them. He admits that while he goes to other towns on occasion and causes some trouble, it's nothing serious. The rumor of him being a member of an evil corporation is a lie. The fabrication of him attempting to assassinate the Pope isn't valid either. He couldn't have possibly fought through all of his royal guard with a broken arm.

The final thing is a letter which Lazarus was writing but is unfinished presently. It reads, 'That's not him'... 'That grave must never be found'...” Lazarus catches Luka reading it and shouts at him to put it down before he can read anymore.

When you talk to Robo-Pope, he mentions that the assassination attempt on him was used with a time bomb and that the main suspect is Lazarus, but they don't have sufficient evidence to arrest him.

Talking to one of the information brokers reveals that Elka company controls the black market in the southern half of the Sentora continent. Lots of people know this, but no one can touch them thanks to their patron, Lazarus. Elka, the manager of the organization, treats Lazarus as if he were his elder brother, and the party is shocked upon realizing it is their parent in Ilias Village. When the party come back to him to ask for a letter of referal to enter the company, Lazarus deny his relation and tell them that Elka is only a man with whom he played cards a few times.

When Elka sees the letter, he promises to tell Luka anything he wishes to know about Marcellus and the White Rabbit, but won't say anything regarding Lazarus. Lazarus asked Elka not to in the letter.

Lazarus' criminal side is revealed in Grandeur, where the huge mansion that make for the headquarter of the mafia is located. Luka is allowed in because of his connections to Elka in Monte Carlo.

The party meet Merlin upstairs, presumably the Don of the organization. The companion Lazarus travelled with along with Karen and Marcellus isn't recognized by the party. He gives the standard villain justification speech about controlled evil being better than uncontrolled evil and how the former Sabasa King understood that enough to leave him alone.

The party leave and a very slick-looking Lazarus crawls out from hiding under the table, saying he was glad to not have been spotted.

Lazarus reappears in Part 2 as the party is infiltrating Grangold. To finalize the preparation of their plan to infiltrate the castle, Luka and Mephisto must meet the Don of the mafia who is preparing the final steps. Luka and Sonya are surprized to discover that said Don is none other than Lazarus himself with Merlin, while Mephisto herself is surprised to learn that the hero is related to the boss of the mafia. Lazarus explains his plan to bomb out empty parts of the city to attract attention while the group infiltrate the castle through the sewers. He proceeds to join the group just before they enter the Underground Waterway.

Unfortunately, just before the group enter the castle, a brainwashed Grangold King attack them and transform into his proto human form. Merlin and Lazarus decide to hold him back while the hero's party keep progressing. They manage to hold him back for a time, but suffer heavy wounds and are about to be killed when Tamamo steps in and save them.

They are later seen at the Banquet organized to celebrate the end of the war, where they're split between scolding Luka for getting himself involved in overthrowing a government, and running away from Sonya who's angry at them for hiding their involvement in the mafia for so long.

They are later seen at the tavern in Gold Port where they can be recruited once and for all. They proceed to set up a casino in the Pocket Castle where Luka can earn some additional equipment and the Underworld licence, the job item required for the godfather job.

He made a cameo in the upcoming event segment, where he was aware of a parallel world and was talking to Morrigan.

Pocket Castle
Basic Greeting:

Lazarus: “What, you got work for me? Let me relax a bit longer...”

With Mini:

Mini: “You're a Don too! Are you better than Don Dahlia...?”

Lazarus: “Yeah, of course I'm better.”

Mini: “How did you become such a great man...?”

Lazarus: “You just pull out your tail feathers and...”

Sonya: “............”

Lazarus: “No, it's nothing...”

With Merlin:

Lazarus: “We've gotten completely roped into their trouble... I never imagined we'd get stuck tagging along on an adventure again.”

Merlin: “You say that, but you're having fun aren't you? Your heart is still there from when you left on an adventure with Marcellus.”

Lazarus: “Bullshit...I'm not having fun. I'm just worried about those damn kids.”

Merlin: “You're like an eternal child with that stubborn resilience of yours...”

Lazarus: “Even adults can be stubborn. I know you're determined to have fun, old man.”

Merlin: “Yes... because I am young at heart.”

Lazarus: “Jeez...you old geezer...”

With Sonya:

Sonya: “............”

Lazarus: “Oi, Luka... Sonya won't talk to me anymore.”

Luka: “Because you've been hiding that you were the Don of the mafia all this time... Frankly, you're reaping what you've sown.”

Sonya: “............”

Lazarus: “It's none of your business...”

[If both Nuruko and Gnome are recruited]

Nuruko:: “............”

Gnome: “............”

Lazarus: “What the hell's with you girls?! You really shouldn't get involved!”

Sonya: “............”

Nuruko: “............”

Gnome: “............”

Lazarus: “............”

With King of San Ilia:

King of San Ilia: “I need to have a talk with you...”

Lazarus: “So, do I have the right to remain silent? Or will that be used as unfavorable evidence in the courtroom?”

Lazarus: “Do I have the right to call a lawyer? Am I able to call on a public defender when I have no money?”

King of San Ilia: “This isn't an investigation... That's why I want to hear this in plain words. Why did you have your sights set on me that time?”

Lazarus: “You assumed the terrorist bombing was the work of a criminal organization. Naturally, that's a tentative story amounting to little more than talking with your imagination.”

Lazarus: “You think there's someone in that criminal organization who requested the assassination of the pope, isn't there? Someone who wants to make a mess of this world...I suppose.”

Lazarus: “Thing is even if they killed him, they'd make fitting assholes of themselves. That criminal organization would also make an enemy of an entire country for making a move against the Pope.”

King of San Ilia: “That's right, after all...”

Lazarus: “Generally, it should be just what you're thinking... It was all one big picture, all of which included the Great War.”

Lazarus: “...that's it, all I've got left are hypothetical arguments. That means there's no evidence of culpability in this recording.”

King of San Ilia: “...So you noticed I was recording this.”

Lazarus: “I know your way of doing things, Mecha Pope.”

Playful Actions
1st Action:

Lazarus: “Oraoraora!”

[Random 4 enemies take damage.]

2nd Action:

Lazarus: “That cloud looks just like a crocodile...”

Lazarus is blankly staring at the clouds in the sky...

[Nothing happens]

3rd Action:

Lazarus: “............”

Lazarus is staring with an intrigued look at something...

[Nothing happens]

4th Action:

Lazarus: “Damn, I dropped a bomb...”

[Everyone takes damage]

5th Action:

Lazarus: “Look, when I drink this I want to shout!”

Lazarus presents a gift!

[+1 Boost Drink]

Trivia

 * In Paradox, it's his right arm that is lame this time, instead of his left although the same CG is used.
 * He and the Paradox version of Marcellus has no affliation with Ilias Kreuz as it never existed in this timeline only mentioned twice by Ilias.