WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Robin #1 by Joshua Williamson, Gleb Melkinov, ALW's Troy Peteri, on sale now.
Damian Wayne's journey of self-discovery started with the revelation of a secret from his family's past. The League of Lazarus is an offshoot of the League of Assassins, but was kept hidden from Damian for unknown reasons. The tournament's hostess though, Mother Soul, might provide clues, however, for the mystery surrounding the group.
Given her age, the very obvious resemblance to Talia al Ghul and the fact that she has some kind of tie to the Lazarus pits, there is a very real chance that Mother Soul is Melisande, Ra's al Ghul's wife, Talia's mother, and by extension, Damian's grandmother. If this is true, then she might actually be the missing piece of the puzzle that helps the young Robin figure out his own identity.
Melisande first made her appearance in Batman: Son of the Demon by Mike W. Barr, Jerry Bingham, and John Costanza. In a poetic coincidence, this was the comic that first introduced Damian to the world, then an unnamed child. But Melisande's past was only briefly elaborated on in this story. She was Ra's' wife, but her husband had taken in his godson Quinlan, who later changed his name to Qayin. One night, Melisande found Qayin in a room with a prototype Lazarus Pit, a room forbidden to everyone but Ra's. The boy was startled and accidentally pushed Melisande into the pit. She died instantly with her daughter Talia watching.
This event from the al Ghuls' past was later retconned in the New 52, where Melisande was revealed to be alive and had met Talia when she was a young adult. Melisande had been cast out by Ra's and forbidden from seeing her daughter or using the Lazarus Pit, hinting at a desire for immortality. She was later dragged away and presumably killed by Ubu, but not before she managed to tell Talia who she was.
Now, given the restructuring of history due to "Infinite Frontier," if Mother Soul truly is Melisande, then there is no telling which of these origins may be the true version of history. And if Melisande is in control of the League of Lazarus, then that might explain why the organization is so shrouded in mystery. Melisande already professed a desire to have access to a Lazarus Pit, and it is very possible that she is using the League of Lazarus to help her attain her goals.
Her identity might also explain why the League of Lazarus has been allowed to operate with impunity for so long. Ra's and Talia may still have lingering feelings for their missing matriarch and not have any desire to harm her. And now Damian may have been brought into her life, unaware of the existing family drama. But this may actually be a good thing. Damian and Melisande share something in common: they both are trying to break away from their family, to define who they are. She might be able to guide Damian down a path where he can find a balance between being the Son of Batman and the Heir of the Demon, pending her actually being his grandmother.