Griselda Gray-Tresses is the elder grandmother of the Women's Circle of the Red Cow. The clan reveres her. Though the women strive to reach consensus, when the circle cannot reach a conclusion, hers is the final voice.
She is an ally of Broddi Strong-Kin. He is eager to see her promoted to the ring — and is keen to replace Salissa Three-Husbands.
Darna Longcoat is a keen rival.
She is cautious about the Daughters of Mabodh. “Far better to allow Jomes Hostralos and the Telmori to exhaust themselves fighting each other,” she claims, “and move in later to defeat the weakened winner.”
Ambitious Griselda Gray-Tresses is tall and stately in bearing. Despite her age, she is still beautiful.
She is the daughter of a long line of chieftains among the Underwillow, a distinction that has made her proud and haughty. Griselda Gray-Tresses considers herself second to no woman. Once she was on the ring, but Darna Longcoat's scheming replaced her. Griselda has never forgotten that slight. She nurses her hatred and would see Darna brought
low before she dies.
Trusting to Broddi Strong-Kin's stewardship, she remains loyal to him and his isolationist course.
As elder grandmother, she is present at all of the births and all of the deaths of the clan. Her tattoo stick makes the sacred clan mark upon everyone. She regards the clan as ‘her children’ and she is both patronizing and concerned for their welfare. She has seen chieftains come and go; she knows that it is the women who endure and carry the clan forward.
She is influential member of the Auroch Bringers. She has participated in the Stealing of the Giant's Cows Cows with Broddi Strong-Kin.
The clan’s cattlemen respect her for her wisdom, and are grateful for her blessings on their cattle. She has completed the Uralda’s Blessing heroquest and the Women’s Circle defer to her for that.
Morgan Sword-Tongue her son, left home many years ago and is serving as a mercenary in Pavis.
She goads and intimidates many of the clan’s men. She thinks of most of them as fools who can accomplish little without a good woman.