Alm

Alm
Alm as he appears in Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
Series	Fire Emblem
First Appearance	Fire Emblem: Gaiden

Alm (Arum in some of the fan translations) is one of the two main characters in Fire Emblem: Gaiden & Echoes: Shadows of Valentia and a DLC Einherjar in Fire Emblem: Awakening. He is 17 years old in Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia.

He starts as a Fighter in Gaiden and he is a Hero (Spotpass), Mercenary (Xenologue 2) or Dread Fighter (Xenologue 5) in Awakening.

History

Alm and Celica learning of each other's marks

Born in the year 385 in the Valentian calendar and year 590 in the Archanean calendar. Alm was raised in Ram Village by his grandfather, Mycen. Alm grew up alongside a group of other Ram Village children, Gray, Tobin, Kliff, and Faye, all of whom were trained in the art of combat by Mycen. Alm also grew up with Celica, a young girl who Mycen was taking care of, whom he was particularly close to. Alm and Celica even had a similar brand on their left and right hands respectively. Their time together was cut short when Slayde, an enforcer to Desaix, wanders into Ram Village and takes interest in Celica due to the special mark on her hand. Mycen enigmatically takes Celica away for her safety, leaving Alm heartbroken. Alm vowed to Celica as she left that they will one day meet again.

Zofia's Deliverance

Until the age of 17, Alm spent his years further honing his skills in combat and war under Mycen's tutelage. Feeling confident that he could now leave the village, he attempts to persuade Mycen, but his grandfather denies his request as he is too green to leave yet. Shortly afterward, Lukas arrives at Ram Village, seeking Mycen to aid with the Deliverance, a Zofian resistance force dedicated to overthrowing Desaix. With Mycen nowhere to be found in the village, Alm steps up and joins the Deliverance in his grandfather's stead with his childhood friends accompanying him on his journey. Alm quickly becomes a huge asset to the Deliverance, quickly gaining the trust and confidence of Lukas and Clair.

Alm greeting the Zofian citizenry after retaking Zofia Castle

On the way to the Deliverance's base, Alm hears of a Novis cleric who was captured by thieves. Alm immediately heads to the Thieves' Shrine and rescues the captured cleric, Silque. As thanks for her rescue, she entrusts the Mila's Turnwheel she was sent to deliver to Alm. Alm's eventually reaches the Deliverance's base where he meets the leader, Clive who is impressed by Alm's conviction and potential, as well as for rescuing his sister. Knowing that Deliverance would need a person of humble origins to lead them rather than a noble like him, he names Alm as the new leader of the deliverance, causing a falling out between Clieve and his lieutenant, Fernand. After routing Desaix's Forces, Alm reclaims Zofia Castle, reuniting with Mycen and greeting the citizens who salute him as a hero.

The schism between Alm and Celica

Shortly after, Alm is reunited with Celica in Zofia castle. As the two attempt to rekindle their relationship, Alm tells Celica that he plans on attacking Rigel to stop Emperor Rudolf's attempt at conquest. Celica asks Alm to consider a peaceful resolution to the conflict, expressing that she does not believe Emperor Rudolf to be as evil as others claim. Alm rebukes that this is irrelevant, since his army had already invaded Zofia, and remains resolute to begin an assault on Rigel in order to drive back the invasion. When he points out that the late king is responsible for provoking the empire, Celica accuses him of vying the throne. Alm is insulted by this, and says he only wishes to protect Zofia, and if the missing Zofian princess took his place, he would return to Ram at a moment's notice alongside her. Celica, who is frustrated that Alm does not wish to negotiate, claims there is no such thing as a lost princess and leaves in order to prepare to head for the Temple of Mila. The two go their separate ways and a sudden rockslide prevents the two from meeting again for the time being.

On the way to the border, Alm arrives at a Forest Village, where Luthier asks him to help save his sister Delthea who's been captured, learning of Rigel's blockage of the sluice in order to flood Zofia. When another villager informes them of Mathilda's impending execution by Desaix, though, they decide to attack his fortress in order to rescue her. Leading the Deliverance to the fortress, Alm brings down the despot and Mathilda is rescued. Inside the Fortress, Alm's group finds the Royal Sword, a powerful blade that is rumoured to be wielded only by those of royal lineage. Tobin attempts to pick it, but finds that it is too heavy to lift. Alm, who effortlessly picks it up, believes that Tobin was jesting, though he vehemently denies it. Lukas is shocked by this fact and question the implications of this, but Alm dismisses it as an exaggeration of the myth. Lukas agrees to the possibility, but determines that Alm is the rightful wielder of the blade regardless.

Alm leaving the Zofian borders after opening the Sluice Gate

Arriving at the sluice, Alm and his army confront and slay Tatarrah, freeing Delthea from his mind control. The sluice is opened by him after the corresponding floodgate at the Temple of Mila is opened first, deducing Celica to be the one responsible, as well as her status as the missing princess.

Assault on Rigel

Alm discovering the meaning of his birthmark through Zeke

Now in Rigel, the Zofian assault begins, with Alm leading the charge. Upon entering, the Deliverance is immediately confronted by Berkut and Fernand. Despite only two and a third cavalry enemy unit against Alm's collective army, the battle goes almost evenly with Alm barely defeating Berkut. In his defeat, Berkut shatters a mirror he was given by Nuibaba, causing a curse to befall upon the Deliverance. However, an intervention by Celica dispels the curse and saves the army.

Before heading to Rigel Castle, Alm hears of a Witch situated on Fear Mountain who has been kidnapping Rigelian women to sacrifice for her god. Alm takes the Deliverance on a detour to end the machinations of Nuibaba who also sought out Alm with the intention of sacrificing him to her god Medusa for everlasting beauty and life. Alm's onslaught on her abode succeeds with him killing the witch. Inside, Alm frees Tatiana, a Rigelian saint who asks to join his army to reunite with her beloved Zeke. Alm leads the Deliverance towards Rigel Castle and eventually encounters Zeke working alongside Jerome. Upon seeing Tatiana among Alm's forces, Zeke immediately turns on Jerome and kills the corrupt knight. After the battle, Alm asks Zeke to join his army. Though thankful for rescuing his beloved, Zeke declines as he remains faithful to Emperor Rudolf for the kindness he gave to him after suffering amnesia. However, Zeke notices Alm's brand and immediately joins his army as Emperor Rudolf himself told him to follow a man who bore that brand on his hand, even if it means fighting against Rudolf himself. He explains that the mark would be a sign of the end of the influences of Duma and Mila on Valentia and that Alm would be one of the heroes who would lead this end.

Spoiler warning: The following information contains spoilers. Please read at your own risk.

Alm learning the truth by Rudolf's dying breath

Eventually, Alm reaches Rigel Castle and the Emperor confronts him. Though the two engage, Rudolf does not attack Alm and is brought down. On his death throes, Rudolf reveals that Alm is not Mycen's grandson, but he was actually Albein Alm Rudolf (アルバイン・アルム・ルドルフ, Arubain Arumu Rudorufu, Alvine Alm Rudolf), Rudolf's only son. Alm is shocked by the sudden revelation and begs Rudolf to explain more, but the king hushes him in order to explain his dying request, pleading to his son to embrace his destiny by claiming the Falchion being stored in the Duma Temple and use its power to end the age of gods. With the death of the king and named heir apparent, Alm is fully recognized as the prince of Rigel and is lead into the castle. Inside the castle, Mycen appears, and explains the truth behind his past: When Rudolf saw the mark on Alm's hand, he knew that he was one of the destined children. In order to forge Alm into the true Hero of legend and prevent his capture by the Duma faithful, he was taken away by Mycen on Rudolf's orders, completely unaware of his true heritage, with his existence completely unknown to the empire except for Rudolf and Mycen. Mycen's Memory further explains that Alm's birth just so happen to line with a newborn Zofian Princess who bore a similar mark. To further spur his son's growth, Rudolf set out to become a conqueror so Alm would eventually rise up against him and become the Hero of all of Valentia. His plan ultimately lead to the events of the story and indeed, created a hero out of Alm. Alm is still devastated by the fact that he killed his own father, but accepts his destiny as the hero and heads down into Duma Temple to claim the Falchion and slay Duma.

Spoilers end here.

End of the Age of Gods

Spoiler warning: The following information contains spoilers. Please read at your own risk.

Alm meeting the imprisoned Celica

In the temple, Alm discovers Celica being imprisoned by Jedah who intends of sacrificing her to Duma. In Echoes, Alm travels further into the Temple and encounters Berkut, driven into madness by his consecutive defeats and the revelation of Alm as heir apparent. Alm fights his cousin and eventually defeats him. On his death throes, Berkut places his faith in Alm to end the age of gods, but also adding another regret of killing yet another family member he just recently discovered.

Upon reaching the deepest catacombs of the Temple, Alm is forced to brave the final chambers alone in order to claim the Falchion. In the final chamber, Alm is greeted by Celica, but is shocked to find out that her soul was already taken by Duma and has become a mindless Witch. As the two fight, Celica tells Alm to kill her before she can do the same thing to Alm, to which Alm is reluctant to do so. After Celica disarms Alm by knocking the Royal Sword out of his hand, Mila calls upon Alm to take the Falchion and use it to defeat Celica. After unbinding the blade, he is then told to trust in the blade, and proceeds to stabs Celica with the Falchion. As Alm mourns for Celica, Mila uses her remaining power in the Falchion to restore Celica back to life. After that, before fading away, Mila's soul instructs Alm to use the Falchion to stop Duma and free him from the depths of his pain. Celica then apologizes to Alm for the way she had treated him before. The two reconcile and use their respective Mila's Turnwheels to open the gate leading to Duma's domain. Both Alm and Celica's armies join forces and kill Jedah and his daughters Hestia and Marla, allowing them to finally face Duma. With their combined powers and the Falchion, Duma is slain and laid to rest alongside his sister Mila.

With the influence of the gods upon the land gone, Zofia and Rigel are united into the One Kingdom of Valentia, with Alm ascending the throne and becoming its first king. Together alongside Celica, now wed to each other, the two usher an era of peace for Valentia. Alm became famous throughout the history of Valentia as the man who established the grand empire and used his power to slay the oppressive gods who had ruled the land, later being known as the Saint-King Alm I.

Spoilers end here.

Awakening

Alm's legacy would endure even past the schism of the unified kingdom a thousand years later, as one of Alm's successors would rename both the Kingdom and the continent as a whole Valm in his honor.

Personality

Alm is a kind-hearted yet naïve young man who has a strong sense of justice and subtly idealistic morals. He has a strong sense of obligation, wanting to leave Ram Village to help the people of Zofia when he heard about the outbreak of thieves, famine, and the aggression of the Rigelian Empire for the past few years. His sense of justice is rather black-and-white, as he is quick to blame individuals for a number of follies in situations he does not necessarily have the full context to. He has a vaguely puerile sense of humor, as he loves to make puns, and is a terrible dancer.

Alm is able to acknowledge his own naïveté and unfamiliarity with the world outside of his village, and is very attentive in general to compensate for said naïveté. He wears his heart on his sleeve and is very sensitive and emotionally expressive, often verbally communicating his insecurities and not holding back tears in melancholy situations.

Alm has a deep longing for a family, as he's said to have grown up lonely in said village, even getting deeply disturbed when an elder said that Mycen had no children. Thus, he ends up projecting his desire onto other party members, often idealizing them as his family by treating them as such in order to counterbalance his loneliness.

Spoiler warning: The following information contains spoilers. Please read at your own risk.

Relationships With Other Characters

• Kliff, Gray and Tobin: Due to them growing up together in Ram Village, Alm shares a close bond with the trio and frequently converses with them during the story. He also shares a friendly rivalry with Tobin, who expresses it in his battle victory quotes.
• Faye: Alm considers Faye to be a close friend of his, due to their growing up together in Ram Village. He is often oblivious to her affections, to the point where she gets frustrated with his naivete.
• Silque: After Alm rescued her from the Thieves' Shrine, Silque offered to aid him in his quest to overthrow Emperor Rudolf and return peace to Zofia. She seems to have some level of romantic affections for him, though she never acts on it due to her status as a holy woman.
• Clair: She also ends up being rescued by Alm early on in his journey. Clair immediately begins to have feelings for him after this, though she ultimately ends up marrying Gray after the events of the game. He is shown to have helped her to gain more respect for commoners.
• Celica: Since they grew up together in Ram Village, Alm and Celica are very close throughout the events of the story. When they reunite at the end of Chapter 2, Celica becomes furious at Alm's recklessness in leading the Deliverance, ultimately causing a fracture in their relationship. They ultimately reconcile after they meet again in Chapter 5, and end up getting married at the end of the story.

Family

• Rudolf (Father)
• Mycen (Adopted Grandfather)
• Celica (Wife)

Trivia

• Alm's English voice actor, Kyle McCarley, previously voiced Zeroken in Disgaea 5 Complete.