Almaz

Almaz is a supporting character and summonable unit in Final Fantasy Brave Exvius. He is a human adventurer from Paladia who loves venturing into ancient ruins, and has a fateful encounter with Madam Edel.
== Profile ==
=== Appearance ===
Almaz is a middle aged, bespectacled man with short brown hair. He wears a brown suit with a lighter colored pair of pants and brown shoes. He wears a light greenish coat on top with yellow adornments. He has a brown hat with a greenish strip. He uses a bluish cane.
=== Personality ===
Almaz was a passionate, if at times a bit absentminded adventurer with a curiosity that Madam Edel described as being almost childlike. This aspect of him also made him at times lose himself in speeches regarding his thoughts on a certain matter. Although not too much of a powerful fighter he was a deceptively capable adventurer with great observation and deduction abilities.
Madam Edel herself concedes he is the first man she has ever admitted defeat to, and recognizes his bravery, passion and intelligence as being those of the greatest adventurer. Like her, he values historical value and adventures for the thrill of it rather than to enrich himself from treasure.
He falls genuinely on love with Edel, and the two become a more solid team. Even after contracting a deadly illness, he still lives his life fervently and spends his last years to build a passing gift to his wife with careful dedication.
== Story ==
Almaz was a low profiled adventurer, much unlike the more famous "Edel the Mole". Nonetheless he was experienced and studious. At one point he got himself hanged upside down in a rope to decipher some writings in a wall, but could not undo the bindings. Edel and Amber encountered him with the latter freeing him from his pinch. His constant exposition of the ruins irritated Edel who demanded to know who he was. Almaz was in search of a fellow adventurer to partner with, and decided on Edel, offering a race to reach the treasure first. The victor would be entitled to an undeniable request. Edel's arrogance led to her loss, much to her disbelief, but she accepted the outcome gracefully and with amusement. Beaten and intrigued by Almaz's wit, resourcefulness, vast knowledge, and situational analysis, the two explorers decided on a partnership.
The duo set out to explore the Departed Ruins whose walls are supposedly made out of adventurers' corpses. On the way they met Winkel, an aggressive and arrogant grave robber known for causing historical damage. After multiple puzzles, the treasure of the ruins was revealed to be a celebration of life manifested in an array of flowers. Winkel was disappointed and left. Almaz revealed to Edel he had wanted to team up to stop Winkel from causing further cultural eroding.
The duo would encounter Winkel several times, racking an impressive record of defeats against them. Edel and Almaz ran into Winkel again during a ruins exploration when they needed to dismantle a three-layered trap. Edel's love for adventure, and Almaz's fascination with culture, taught Winkel the historical and cultural importance and value of the ruins, and he declared not to shamelessly plunder such prominent vestiges anymore. Thus the duo had become a trio of moles. Winkel proposed to Edel, who was flattered, but politely rejected him, revealing she had married Almaz already, much to his confusion.
At some point Almaz contracted a deadly disease that was incurable by the current medicine and magic. Rather than live secluded he decided to live to his fullest, although his adventuring days decayed. Knowing he was on borrowed time, Almaz secretly commissioned Winkel's aid to modify a set of ruins as a parting gift to Edel. Winkel was surprised by Almaz's request of rather brutal, tricky traps that would send most adventurers packing, but Almaz nonetheless reassured him that Edel would triumph. Winkel further inquired about some traps that could not be solved alone, as Almaz reveals that he wants Edel to find new companions, be them friends, family or lovers to accompany her in this adventure.
Seeing how dedicated he was in giving a final gift to his wife, Winkel worked his hardest to finish the ruins' architecture, which would eventually become the Ancient Ruins dungeon. To add further challenge, he requested the aid of a doll maker, who crafted Magic Dolls that would serve as the ruins' monster guardians. Although the construction would take a major effort, all the details would be finished in the nick of time, as Almaz prepared the map revealing the location of the ruins as well as hiring help to keep the Sectored Circles, the keys to the ruins hidden across the world. He secretly crafted a gun for her, Beloved Edel, made with selected materials and crafted it so she could use the weapon itself as a projectile to close the gap and use one of her brutal punches.
Just as he finishes the map, Almaz collapsed from his illness, dying in the spot just as Edel spotted him. Left behind was the map and a chest with a note to open it in the moment of his death.
His death would cause Edel great sorrow and for a time she stopped adventuring. Amber managed to give Edel the support needed to allow her to live her life again. As she entered Almaz's room she found the map and dedicated herself to finding the ruins. On the way she found Lexa and adopted her, finding the ruins. She decided to build a manor on top of the ruins as she adopted a bunch of "lost souls" and naming them herself, these being, Erwin, Elbis, Merald, Pecciota, Shinju, and Vesvia who would serve as her stewarts, making herself a family just as Almaz planned.
During those years following Almaz absence, Winkel who had also aged, vowed to take care of the house in the forest she and Almaz shared in gratitude for their friendship, a task he passed down to his descendants who would clean and attend to the home, but without changing anything else as the key passed down from each generation.
After Edel contracts Lasswell's help, she progresses through most of the ruins, until the final level. Edel requests the house's key from Eleanor, Winkel's descendant, and visits her house after many years, finding the courage to step in despite her still latent sorrow. As she enters Almaz's room she finds the last sectored circle in the chest she refused to open for all the years after his death, still hopeful he would appear alive.
A massive adventure is conducted with Edel, Lasswell and her stewards into the final level. Edel and Lasswell enter the deepest part where visions of Almaz's memories show their adventures together along with his plans for leaving one final gift for Edel, which takes a toll on Edel's emotions but she decides to press forward.
Finally encountering the final guard, Zilant, Edel and Lasswell engage in combat but are in a disadvantage when the Zilant is protected by the Dark Elemental's power. Edel's stewards arrive and together they destroy the Elemental allowing Edel to defeat the Zilant. They leave the ruins ready to celebrate, but Edel stays for a moment of solace. Almaz's spirit appears before her and congratulates her for conquering the ruins. Edel vows to keep on living and become the greatest adventurer ever. Almaz's spirit happily departs with his task fulfilled.
Back in the manor, Edel uses the Gems forfeited by the fallen guardians to open the ruins' treasure chest, which yields the Beloved Edel gun. Having no need for it, she gifts it to Lasswell, giving Edel definitive closure.
==Gallery==
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Category:Characters in Final Fantasy Brave Exvius