| Malise Gevelmar | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||
| Born | c. ? 1147[1] | ||||||||
| Died | Ish 1172 - killed by Lin[2] | ||||||||
| Religion | Vorinism | ||||||||
| Residence | Jah Keved | ||||||||
| Nationality | Veden | ||||||||
| Homeworld | Roshar | ||||||||
| Universe | Cosmere | ||||||||
Malise Gevelmar is a lighteyes from Jah Keved on Roshar. She was the second wife of Lin Davar and the stepmother of his children, including Shallan.
Appearance and Personality
Malise is short and plump.[3] She has "buttonlike features" and black hair with blonde streaks.[4]
She is the youngest daughter of Brightlord Gevelmar.[5] House Gevelmar is rural and not particularly notable.[6] As a member of the nobility, she has some disdain for those of lower dahn.[5] She is generally non-threatening, but is capable of significant anger.[3]
History
Shortly after Shallan's mother died, her father marries Malise.[7] She moves into the Davar estate in Valam princedom. Around this time, the Davar family is going broke, the oldest son Helaran has deserted the family, and Lin is increasingly unstable, often throwing things at his servants or beating them severely.[5] Over the next few years, Lin's sanity seems to gradually decline despite the discovery of valuable quarries on Davar lands.[2]
She initially accepts Lin's story that Shallan's mother was killed by her lover in a murder-suicide,[5] but later questions whether this is true after Lin begins battering her.[4] When Lin subsequently orders Rin to assassinate his son Helaran,[3] Malise vehemently protests; Lin becomes enraged and beats her, breaking her arm and imprisoning her in her room.[8] Shallan tries to arrange for Balat and Malise to escape the house.[8] Shortly before the planned escape, Malise reveals the plan and Lin kills her with blows to the head.[2] Balat confronts Lin, but Lin severely injures him and attempts to attack Eylita. However, Malise's death prompts Shallan to give Lin wine poisoned with blackbane, which incapacitates him.[2] Shallan is forced to kill Lin and the family discovers the broken Davar soulcaster,[2] setting events into motion that result in Shallan seeking an apprenticeship with Jasnah Kholin.
Relationships
Lin Davar
Malise is sent to marry Lin by her father in an arranged marriage, and they are married less than a month after meeting each other.[5] Approximately six months after her marriage to Lin, Wikim notes that Malise cries every other night.[4] Lin beats Malise, scaring off one of Shallan's tutors named Hasheh.[4] Lin's behavior causes multiple tutors to quit, and Malise is stuck looking for replacements.[8] As things devolve in the Davar household, Malise regrets the marriage.[8] She tells Shallan that there is a "beast" inside Lin and that he cannot let things go. She believes he will ultimately kill the entire family.[8]
Shallan Davar
Malise oversees Shallan's studies despite her own lack of education.[8] Since the Davars cannot retain tutors, Malise wants to teach Shallan, but she is not equipped to do so; her family ignored education like many rural Veden houses.[9] She is able to read women's script[4] but has little knowledge about history or other subjects.[8] Like Shallan's brothers, Malise harbors some resentment that Shallan is the only one in the family who avoids Lin's wrath.[8] Shallan feels like she barely knows her stepmother despite years of living together, but does feel protective of her.[8]
Notes
- ↑ Shallan was born in 1156, and Malise is noted as being "less than ten years older" than Shallan in Words of Radiance chapter 45
- ↑ a b c d e Words of Radiance chapter 73#
- ↑ a b c Words of Radiance chapter 61#
- ↑ a b c d e Words of Radiance chapter 45#
- ↑ a b c d e Words of Radiance chapter 39#
- ↑ 17th Shard Forum Q&A
— Arcanum - 2012-09-26# - ↑ The Way of Kings chapter 5#
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i Words of Radiance chapter 65#
- ↑ The Way of Kings chapter 7#