[Julilee]

Lysimachus joined Sanctuary last night. He seemed a bit erratic at times, but he swore the oaths. He does seem genuinely glad to be a part of the guild. He also mentioned contacting some of his old associates. I suppose we'll see.

Kargron and Kenjin appear to have represented Sanctuary well at the meeting with the Outriders. I will have to see about meeting with their leader soon. It was mentioned that they are allied with an Alliance guild, the Twilight Empire I believe it was called. Between them and the Order of the Redblade, it seems we might have a significant faction of the peaceable building. I'm excited to see what comes of it.

It's hard to believe sometimes how much it has all grown. I didn't foresee this when I stepped into the decrepit guildhall I'd purchased, or even after I finished reading Vilmah's journals and first decided to raise Sanctuary's banner again. I just knew this was what I had to do. Now, Sanctuary thrives again, and the ideals it stood for with it.

There is much yet to do, however. It will not stay strong without continued guidance. We are all occupied now working in Draenor, gathering allies and gaining what we can from this land, but as our hold strengthens, we will need to have new objectives, and the structure to go with it. I must gather and speak to my officers before that time comes so that we are prepared.

[Julilee]

I haven't been getting enough sleep lately, and it's affecting me. I feel rushed and less optimistic, despite the fact we're continuing to make excellent progress. I'll try to get more sleep tonight, and hopefully this entry doesn't end up sounding too negative. I have a lot to cover, and sort out in my thoughts by putting to paper.

We had a guild meeting this weekend. I took the opportunity to remind everyone of the values Sanctuary represents. The four tenets, of course; but also that we are all good people who wear the purple and gold, and that we are expected to be laudable representatives of the guild at all times, no matter the circumstances or conflict. No incident prompted the reminder, and I don't think anyone took it amiss, but I wanted to affirm what we are as we continue to grow in numbers and influence. I want everyone to have faith in one another, and the banner, and know that there are clear expectations to live up to.

We also made some decisions amongst the officers. Nojinbu will be taking on strategic planning in the defense against the Alliance. And a new initiate, Cylindryl, will be organizing forays into some enemy territories. She may prove herself in time capable of much more. Of course, I need say nothing regarding Nojinbu's capabilities.

Right before the meeting, I sought out one of Sanctuary's former leaders. He had tried to take up the mantle after Vilmah, Nojinbu, and most of the others went underground. Ultimately, Sanctuary faltered despite his efforts. He had stayed with the Horde. I saw in Durk'atar a chance to learn how to avoid the same pitfalls. It is a different time now, with a new Warchief, and I have no doubt that that has much to do with Sanctuary's success thus far... but I will take every opportunity to learn how to prevent Sanctuary from falling to ashes again. He agreed to return and advise me.

A few days ago, I also met with the guild leader of the Outriders. Kiraleen and I discussed our common goals and current circumstances. The Outriders expend most of their effort on Azeroth, it seems. Sanctuary, by contrast, has been almost entirely focused on Draenor. I did offer our assistance to them in one arena: Silvermoon politics. It's never been my forte, as you'd probably imagine for someone who's never paid it the least bit of attention, but a number of other Sanctuary members have mentioned political ties of their own. If Kiraleen is working to have the Outriders' goals better supported by the Regent-Lord, that would be in Sanctuary's realm of interest as well. I still need to discuss with Cerryan, Faelenor, Amalyn, and Lysimachus what they can do to help advance a peaceful agenda in Silvermoon.

I debated not mentioning this, but I think I will. At the end of that meeting, a rather strange conversation occurred. One of the Outriders, Goldsworth, mentioned that her late partner had been an orc. Kargron ended up asking if it was normal for elves, or others, to partner outside their race. I know Kargron has had other questions about race before, but this one really threw me. I didn't know what to say. Luckily Goldsworth was happy to answer the question.

It made me think about him, although I'd deliberately put him out of my mind since coming through the Red Portal.

We ended up seeing each other later. To my surprise, he had left the guild he was in. I came to understand why he had joined in the first place. Knowing that would almost be reason to stop being so cautious, but there is still plenty reason for that. For now.

Anyway, one other thing of note happened recently. Sanctuary's garrison underwent an inspection. Since we receive support from the Horde, they wanted to ensure our defenses and buildings were up to spec. A Lieutenant-General came, one who apparently had a longstanding relationship with Sanctuary. He didn't go easy on us, though, and his recommendations were spot-on. We made the suggested changes, and our garrison is fully defended and stocked now. Kenjin seemed dubious about the entire affair, however. She didn't want us to be compelled by the Horde. I told her that we should have no fear so long as we are willing to sacrifice the Horde's aid; which we are should their goals no longer align with ours. There is no slippery slope when it comes to upholding justice.

I think that's most everything, for now. Just going to organize a few more missions before I seek sleep.

[Julilee]

Things remain busy in Draenor, and elsewhere. We had a successful foray into Molten Core this past weekend. In the process, we made a number of new allies, including a warlock named Grimal from a guild called Infection. Durk'atar warned me that their goals would not align with Sanctuary's, which certainly seemed accurate considering what Grimal said at times, but if we're willing to work with certain others when our actions serve the same purpose, this was no different.

Durk'atar also expressed some concern about Saphiara. He said she was dangerously bitter. I agree, but the danger is only to herself. I hope with time she will heal.

Recently, I made the acquaintance of a Blood Knight by the name of Elanderik. He's a veteran of many campaigns, and the experiences he's had have made him cynical, but I can tell that there's good in him. He's an excellent fighter, and I'm sure we'll continue working with him as we advance in Draenor.

And we continue to advance. Cylindryl is organizing a foray into Highmaul next week. It will be challenging, and may require working alongside many others who do not share our values. But we can do what is necessary without ever compromising.

This is my life now. It's hard to remember when it wasn't. When I was still just a warrior in training, trying to be what I was supposed to be. I wonder if anyone from my old life would even recognize me, or if they've heard rumors of Sanctuary's success. I wonder what they would think – but I don't feel any pressing need to find out.

[Julilee]

Things have settled into a pattern. Gather resources; plan missions; assault the demon forces in Shattrath. Well, it seems like a group of us are fighting in Shattrath almost every day. Otherwise, there are occasionally other things, other tasks to be done. And sometimes, they are significant.

Tonight we venture into Highmaul. It will be the fourth great undertaking as a guild since Sanctuary's revival. First we scattered the forces outside the Red Portal; then we took it. Recently, we returned to Azeroth to clear Molten Core. Now we will face the ogres and their allies. We have some alliances to bolster us, and I'm confident we will prevail, though I take care to be prudent and plan carefully. Cylindryl will be an asset in that.

We also seem to have acquired another... asset. I'm beginning to reconsider agreeing to what I did, however. It is a slippery slope to the dishonorable, no matter how noble the justification. I, and Sanctuary, will not be the first to give offense.

In more cheerful news, we're planning a get-together with the Outriders this weekend. That should be a fun time, a good chance to relax and be social. But I have no idea what to wear. I haven't put on anything since armor in a long time... My guildmates probably wouldn't even recognize me in something else.

[Julilee]

Last night was enormously successful. We are all just beginning to figure out how to work together, but it's apparent everyone is very skilled, attentive, and dedicated, and in time I know we will be even more effective. We downed two of Highmaul's strongest foes, including the second, the Butcher, on our second charge – very nearly our first. I'm sure we would have had the third foe as well if we hadn't decided to cut our time short.

It was nice to be fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with Kargron. I've come a long way since needing his aid for minor missions and dungeon delving. It also makes me proud to be fighting alongside Nojinbu and Durk'atar, longtime Sanctuary adherents, as well as newer members like Valerel and Cylindryl who are proving themselves just as committed. I had some doubts about Valerel at first, but he seems to have realized that Sanctuary does, in fact, mean business. And of course there's Cerryan, who I never had any doubts about.

As well, we had a few allies join us. One was a priest from Borrowed Time by the name of Kevalak. He is an associate of Jesmotguin, another old member, who sent him in his place. There was also Nettles, whose steady nature has earned her a well-deserved reputation as helpful, and Grimal, who is reliable and effective if still of dubious alignment. And we had four others join us, recruited from the Horde, all of whom proved more than competent and easy to work with. I hope to see them again on our next foray.

I want to ensure I catch up with other members as well... I see Eiverdein occasionally, but it's been awhile since I've seen a few others. I know Vilmah and Grisch are both busy. I'd like to see how Blodwyen, Civarra, Kenjin, Amalyn, Faelenor, and others are doing.

That reminds me. I spoke to Brooser recently. He was very upset that a friend of his was being less friendly. Specifically, he wasn't accepting hugs. Brooser is kind of a huggy person. Anyway, it made me suddenly remember shortly after I met both Brooser and Faelenor, and the latter also declined to hug Brooser. I can't imagine there's any normal reason why anyone would be so unkind. I mean, I've hugged Brooser, and it was fine. It's a bit of a mystery to me right now. I spoke to Brooser's other friend, but he didn't really explain it. I think I'll ask Faelenor next time I see him.

[Julilee]

The past two days… could have been better. Of course, they could have been worse, much worse. I’ve just been having a hard time maintaining patience lately in the face of problems. Then again, maybe that’s an understandable reaction when someone gets murdered on your dinner table.

Hyperbole aside, the Winter Veil celebration wasn’t all bad. There was good food, great drinks, excellent conversation. Kargron even laughed. Snowballs were thrown and gifts exchanged. I have no idea how Lilliana and a few other members of the Grim even found out about it, but I guess technically they’re… allies. I was going to say friends, but I just couldn’t. I really am having a hard time being positive. Anyway, it was generally more good than bad, even if Valerel didn’t even recognize me at first. I think. I’m not sure. Rellivia said she liked my dress, at least.

We attempted to return to Highmaul yesterday, but it didn’t go nearly so well as our first foray. We were missing a few key members who couldn’t make it, including Kargron and Cerryan. This coming Tuesday we should be at full force again, so I expect it’ll be much better, but I never want to have to try to coordinate with random mercenaries again. They have no patience. Cylindryl mentioned recruiting; I wonder if there would be more interested in joining us for these expeditions. I’ve reached out to everyone I could think of so far.

What else? I had an interesting conversation the other night with a certain someone. I asked his advice on the dilemma I was facing. His answers surprised me, but in the end, they made me more certain of my decision. Spying is an act of war, and if a war is to start, Sanctuary won’t be the one to initiate it. Not now, not ever. And as long as I keep that in mind, I think our cool but cordial business relationship with the Grim will carry on.

It’s too bad the one time I met their commander, I managed to stick my foot in my mouth. I’m not sure what I could have said otherwise, though. In the end, I suspect we’d have little in common regardless.

One good note is that we’ve had a small surge of new members. Rellivia, a hunter, and Jinsai, a monk, both recently joined, as well as a friend of Lysimachus, Godrick, another hunter. The last will need watching… not because I doubt his morals, but because he seems a bit… easily influenced. Lysimachus isn’t a role model I would have chosen for him.

More missions to plan and resources to gather. I rearranged the guild vaults yesterday. The glorious life of a guild leader. But it was never glory I was after. I’m content planning and preparing. If there’s one thing I know, it’s that things can escalate very quickly.

[Julilee]

I’m writing in my journal less often now. It correlates with my reduced patience, I think. What is it that has me so dissatisfied lately? I have nothing to be unhappy about. Sanctuary is successful in all its endeavors, and growing every day. I’m not wanting for friends. I even have someone I’m seeing. Maybe it’s just the holidays. They were never a good time for me, growing up.

I did get one Winter Veil gift, from Valerel. I’m wearing it right now; a charmed necklace. I didn’t know he was a jewelcrafter. I also sent Blodwyen a belated gift, something I found that I thought she’d like. She’s been working on gathering up a new set of armor and I found one of the matching pieces for sale.

We’ve had a good number of new recruits in the past week or so. I would have thought that the amount of incoming personnel would have slowed as the Horde’s foothold in Draenor solidified and efforts turned to more maintenance than new discoveries, but apparently not. It’s just as well, for there’s still plenty to do. We are going to the battlefields tonight, and back into Highmaul tomorrow.

After the holidays are over, I’m going to try to reach out to the Twilight Empire. I’ve heard nothing but good about them. Also, I haven’t heard anything from the Order of the Redblade recently; I should try to contact Tuuroto.

There was something else… One of Lilliana’s compatriots, a rogue by the name of Drinn, made some remarks that I wonder if I should investigate. She strongly hinted that in the past she had been employed by Sanctuary for less-than-commendable work. The name she gave was Ninorra. I didn’t see that one on the partial roster I recovered awhile ago, when I sent out the letters. Regardless of if there’s any truth to the rogue’s words, if Ninorra was Sanctuary, I should try to reach out to her. And maybe speak to Vilmah.

[Julilee]

Well, it's been an eventful time since my last entry. Between the usual round of new initiates, defense of Horde individuals and territories, and forays into Highmaul, we started a war with the Grim.

At least, it starts to appear more and more likely as I fail to contact Saphiara. She is completely unreachable and cannot be found.

All this time, I thought she just needed space, and time to heal. I may have been wrong; so very wrong.

We must find her first, regardless.

No time to write more. Highmaul, then to speak with my officers.

[Julilee]

We didn't get a chance to have our meeting last night as we decided to extend our foray into Highmaul. We got further than we had yet. Everyone is working together much more smoothly, too. We've found a rhythm, and everyone understands their place.

We had some allies with us, some of Kex'ti's old band, some Borrowed Time, some of Infection. One of them, from Kex'ti's group, came to Sanctuary's banner afterward. Baern started bluntly that he was a mercenary, but he said he fought for the soldiers beside him. In a way, that is why we fight, too. He swore the oaths, but I will have to see if he is in fact a good fit for us.

The meeting must happen soon. I haven't heard anything from the Grim since letting Lilliana and Lupinum go, but I don't believe for a moment that they've moved on. Durk'atar is out looking for Saphiara. I hope he finds her.

[Julilee]

To say things have escalated would be accurate. But I should start at the beginning so I can record and mull over everything that's happened.

It began, at least for Sanctuary, when Kex'ti called out for help over the hearthstone. He had been attacked by a rogue, and though he had driven her off, he was succumbing to the poison. I was able to reach him in time to administer an antidote, but he nearly died. If my hearthstone hadn't been in range... And then he told me his assailant was a member of the Horde, someone named Syreena – of the Grim.

Before that night, Sanctuary had worked together with the Grim, albeit grudgingly, when the need arose. Assaults on Shattrah or the Pit; delving into enemy strongholds. I'd had an unfortunate run-in with their Commander once previously, but though there was distaste on both sides, we recognized that we both served the Horde, and that at the very least the ends we sought were the same. Peace.

So that night I ordered the guards to allow no Grim within the garrison until further notice, and wrote an admittedly scathing letter to the Commander of the Grim... but that was all I knew at the time. The letter had hardly departed, however, before one arrived for me.

Their commander, Awatu, claimed that one of our had attacked on of theirs. At first I could only assume that it was a defensive, reactionary lie, to justify Syreena's attack; but the individuals they named gave me pause. It was Saphiara, he said, who attacked Filora.

"She's a threat only to herself," I'd told Durk'atar when he expressed his concerns to me about her. I'd seen Saphiara's bitterness, yes... heard her voice her grudge against those who, in her eyes, had abandoned Sanctuary in its time of need. Like Filora. But I couldn't believe she would see going rogue and attacking unprovoked as justice. She had agreed to come back to the banner. She had been the first after me. She had believed so strongly. Even if she had suffered for it, she had truly believed, and nothing can break true belief. Or so I thought.

I couldn't reach her; hadn't seen her in at least a month. I'd thought she needed space. Now her silence sounded damning.

Then, Lilliana and Lupinum, of the Grim, came to the garrison while I was away. As Lilliana was one of those with whom we had worked the most from the Grim, and she had a longstanding relationship with my second in command, Kargron, she had been chosen to make a diplomatic overture. That might sound sensible, but the wisdom of the choice was... debatable, illustrated when she was turned back by the guards, and decided to simply mind control them to get inside. After Cerryan confronted her and the guards sought to remove her and her friend from the premises, the two Grim fought back with force and as a result were thrown in our stockade.

Lilliana was rather shocked when I returned, and, hearing the explanation of events, decided she and her friend could cool their heels behind bars for awhile. But I wasn't going to tolerate such disrespect of Sanctuary's sovereignty within our own garrison. Especially not from someone of the Grim. I gave orders that they were to be released after a few hours, and they were.

Things were quiet for awhile. I notified my guildmembers of the conflict and told them to be wary of Grim. Someone came to join our ranks, who turned out to have a sister in the Grim. He seemed sincere, though, and I ended up turning him away only because he had perhaps not given the ideals Sanctuary stands for enough thought. Then I met with my officers to discuss Saphiara.

Durk'atar had found the site where the alleged attack on Filora had taken place, and through his connection to the elements, he was able to see what they had seen. There was no doubt. Saphiara had attacked, and unprovoked. Filora had even thrown down her mace in surrender.

We would need to bring her in for a trial, and sentencing. Our efforts to find her thus far had turned up nothing, but the shamans, Durk'atar and Grisch, spoke of a ritual they could perform to find her. They're still working on gathering the necessary reagents. While we've continued to search for Saphiara, she managed to hide from Garrosh and the Kor'kron for years, and I doubt we will find her through conventional methods.

Things were quiet... for awhile. I wrote Awatu a second letter affirming our belief in Saphiara's guilt, and our right to be the ones to bring her to justice. I never received a response to that one, either.

Then, the broadsides. I still don't know who was responsible for them, though certainly many of Sanctuary believe it's the Grim. But while investigating, we came across a war party of the Grim in the Arathi mountains. And learned they intended to attack an undefended Alliance town, and slaughter everyone in it down to the little ones.

There was a confrontation.

Saphiara showed herself.

But we got away with our lives, and most of the Alliance families saved. Nothing else, but it was enough.

The next day, their commander finally did reach out to me. He asked for a meeting. With my people gathered, we met them at Bladespire Citadel.

I'm still not sure why he asked for the meeting. To gloat? To make a show of force? We appeared to have almost even numbers... except that we knew there were rogues in their ranks who were not showing themselves. Grumak even detected Syreena there, though Awatu claimed she was "indisposed".

It was a thoroughly unproductive meeting in the end. They named us allies of the Alliance, failing to make any distinction between innocent and guilty, combatants and non-combatants. I told them their philosophy had its chance with Garrosh, and that Vol'jin respected peace as they did not. We left before they could take any action.

So we stand now, with open hostility between our two sides. It was bound to happen, I suppose. We are diametrically opposed.

I can only hope that they take my words to heart and don't attempt any violence against us. If they do... reprisal will be swift. And just.