Mother of Grey

The Mother of Grey (also known as the Ash Empress), a character from the Blades of Light and Shadow series, is an Old God, and the leader of the Empire of Ash. She is first seen in Book 2, Chapter 14, although she is mentioned for the first time in Book 2, Chapter 1.

Appearance
The Mother of Grey has long grayish black hair, long black flaming horns, light blue eyes, gray skin, pointy ears, and flaming veins. She wears a black and silver leather dress, and she has a flaming crack in the middle of her cleavage.

Personality
According to Aerin, the Ash Empress is not pleasant to work for.

Background
As it is revealed in Book 2, Chapter 15, the Ash Empress is the Mother of Grey, an Old God. In the very distant past, she used to value all creation and accept the world as it was, and even though she sometimes disagreed with the rest of the Old Gods, they were able to create a better world for all. It was said that after the creation of the elves she sacrificed herself to give them their long lives, although given that she's currently alive, this is most likely a myth. When the rest of the Old Gods realized that they had had to split the Realms to prevent their decline, the Mother of Grey attempted to lead a coup against Nifara, but when that failed, she fled Elhalas and sought sanctuary among the dwarves. However, after she was recaptured and the Old Gods prepare the ritual to divide the Realms, the Mother of Grey and her supporters interrupted the ritual, and as a result they were sent to the Shadow Realm for eternity, with the Mother of Grey becoming the Empress of the Ash Empire.

Book 2

 * Chapter 1: Through the Looking Glass (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 2: Coming Home (Mentioned; Determinant)
 * Chapter 5: Into The Woods (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 7: Conflict and Compromise (Mentioned; Determinant)
 * Chapter 8: The Hero Of Riverbend (Mentioned; Determinant)
 * Chapter 11: Healing and Hard Truths (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 12: Surprises in Shadow (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 13: Just The Two Of Us (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 14: A Night to Remember
 * Chapter 15: Watch Your Back
 * Chapter 16: Pirates and Thieves (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 17: The Longest Night
 * Chapter 18: It All Comes Down To This

TTRPG Companion

 * Chapter 1: The Adventure Continues

Trivia

 * Her crimes include treason, murder, and conspiracy.
 * Her character model, particularly her horns, resembles that of Lilith, the main antagonist of the video game Diablo IV.