Queen Malva

Introduction

Queen Malva is most notably recognized as her role as the founder of Domína’s largest and capital city, Malva (named after herself), and her role as a powerful female figure fighting for the safety and security of refugees, and the importance of keeping knowledge within the region.

Early Life

Malva was born in Tariq, one of the first, early and small settlements of the formed Domína region. After her father’s death at a young age, Malva was raised by her mother and older sister, who taught her how to become a skilled terrace farmer. She came from a lower class family and worked her way up over the years to create a strong profitable business selling specialty herbs used for medicinal purposes. At the age of 16, a raid from Bayt Alma on her family’s village left her orphaned and without her only sibling. In order to survive, Malva fled with the remaining survivors of the village.

The Capital of Domina

Malva and the remaining refugees found sanctuary hidden within the Hanno Mountain Range, where they found a lake and waterfall at high elevations, away from easily accessible roads and flatlands. Using her farming skills, Malva created a self-sustaining business, and guided the other families and children to create a permanent settlement.

Malva recognized the risk of being too self-isolated in a rapidly changing world. In order to combat this, Malva personally offered to expand her trade network along the river at the base of their mountain settlement. She encouraged and taught the other refugees how to utilize terrace farming in the mountains to grow a variety of herbs, grains, and root vegetables, as well as utilize mining skills to obtain iron ore from the mountains. Over time, the settlement became a regular stop on many travel and trade routes. Malva oversaw the expansion of metalworking, armor forgery, and farming to sustain the rapidly expanding town.

Malva was still cautious about the growth of this settlement. The town focused on allowing refugees escaping war, violence, oppression, or persecution, and specifically became a safe haven for those without safety or power. Most traders were not brought into the physical village high in the mountains in order to protect and remain private. Thus, a separate port grew at the base of the mountain and waterfall, while most refugee residents stayed hidden high above.

As time passed, a Council was formed to create a governing body. Teh council was primarily composed of female leaders. Many of the leaders and citizens of the town saw the value in Malva’s skills as a leader, and elected her to become their queen. They named the mountain city in her name, and Malva (the town) became the capital of the region of Domína.

The First Queen of Domína

As the first queen in the region, Malva expanded her mission of protection to include a focus on knowledge as a way to ensure strength and prosperity for her people. Malva ensured the creation of knowledge centers and libraries to maintain a constant contact network through their trade system, in order to stay informed on current tensions, affairs, and matters within Tel Rialis.

As tensions rose and fell between other nations, the city began to grow as a central station of knowledge and trade to interact with other nations. Malva became the first queen in a matriarchal society, with female council members to ensure the securing of women’s and gender rights and equality. She married a man from Baal, another town in Domína, and gave birth to one daughter, Melita, who would succeed her after her death at the age of 84.