Character from The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
The most inscrutable member of the Senior Council — centuries old, politically ruthless, and operating on calculations no one else can follow.
Ancient Mai is the Senior Council member who most embodies the Council's institutional nature — she thinks in centuries, acts through proxies, and treats individual lives as variables in equations that span generations. She has opposed Harry more often than not, voted against him in Council proceedings, and maintained a stance of cold political calculation that makes her impossible to read as either ally or enemy. She may be both, depending on the century's needs. Her magical specialty is unclear, her age is unclear, and her ultimate loyalties appear to be to the White Council as an institution rather than to any individual or faction within it. She supported Morgan's execution when he was framed, suggesting either complicity or a willingness to sacrifice individuals for stability.
A tiny, ancient Asian woman who looks fragile and is absolutely not. Dark eyes that give away nothing. Traditional robes worn with the authority of someone who was old when the current political order was young. Her presence is deceptively small until you notice that everyone in the room is orienting toward her. Moves with precise economy, as if she has calculated the exact energy required for each gesture.
Also known as: Ancient Mai, Mai