When younger, Laurana was willow thin with eyes colored the green of new leaves, hair as gold as the morning sunlight, and smooth woodland brown skin. She kept her youthful appearance throughout her life. She was also known as Laurana, the Golden General, or in her later years as the Queen Mother.

Early Life

In 288 AC, when Laurana was young, she asked Tanis if he would marry her. He said yes, but unknown to her, he was saying it so that she would tell her brothers. Twenty years later she gave Tanis a promise ring, trying to hold him to the betrothal, though he didn't think he was betrothed to her. Her father, Solostaran, announced her unwilling betrothal to Tyresian, so she then announced to the entire Qualinesti elven court that she and Tanis were betrothed, which brought much embarrassment to her family and Tanis. Unknown to her, a few days earlier Miral had told her in secret that he would like to marry her, but when she rejected him Miral cast a spell on her that made her forget this ever happened.

Miral tried to seize power while most of the whole elven royal family was in the Tower of the Sun. During his attempt he destroyed some of the Tower's columns, and Tyresian saved her from a falling piece though it cost him his own life. Laurana was heartbroken when Tanis left Qualinesti soon after Miral was stopped, but Tanis came back about once a year.

War of the Lance

When the Companions arrived in the city of Qualinost, Laurana thought Tanis had returned to her. When he gave back his betrothal ring to her, she got mad and wouldn't talk to him the rest of the time the Companions were there. When the Companions left Qualinost, Laurana snuck after them, following them to Pax Tharkas like a spoiled child.

She was eventually caught following them, and she was allowed to come with the Companions. After assisting in freeing the slaves in Pax Tharkas, she ventured to Thorbardin and aided in the search for the Hammer of Kharas. With the finding of the Hammer, the dwarves were united under a king and temporarily assisted in housing the human refugees. Laurana stayed with the Companions as they ventured out to Tarsis, supposedly a port city. During this time, she listened to Elistan's teachings about the old gods.

Upon their arrival at Tarsis, they found that the city was landlocked and no longer a port, so the refugees could not use it to slip away. Shortly after their arrival in the city, it was attacked by the Red Dragonarmy as well as a detachment of blue dragons commanded by the Blue Lady. Laurana was split up from her beloved Tanis and ventured to Icereach with Sturm Brightblade, Tasslehoff Burrfoot, Flint Fireforge, Brian Donner, Aran Tallbow, and Derek Crownguard.

While en route to Icereach to find a Dragon Orb, Laurana and the Companions experienced the dream that Tanis and friends ventured into in Silvanesti. In the dream, Laurana was killed by draconians.

In her adventure in Icereach, Laurana and Sturm retrieved a broken lance from a frozen knight mounted on an equally frozen silver dragon. Finally, in the heart of the fortress, she confronted and killed Feal-Thas with a frostreaver, but not before he had killed Brian and Aran. They collected the dragon orb and made their way to the Isle of Sancrist.

On their way to Sancrist, their ship crashed on Southern Ergoth and they were captured by Silvanesti elves. They were turned over to the Qualinesti elves that were also on the island, and were imprisoned. Laurana assisted in helping Flint, Tasslehoff, and the others escape from the elves, and they ran off into the mountains to get to a Solamnic castle located on another part of the island. While in the mountains, Sturm and Derek took the orb with them to the fortress, while Gilthanas, Silvara, Laurana, Flint, and Tas took another route through the mountains to throw off the pursuing elves.

They came to a strange place with a dragon carving outside of a cave. Laurana and the others, save for Tas, fell under a sleep spell shortly after they entered the mountain cave. Upon waking, Laurana found out that Silvara was really a silver dragon and that the legendary dragonlances really did exist. Flint wanted to join Tas and Fizban, but Laurana convinced him to travel with her and assist her in talking with the Knights about what to do with the orb.

After the meeting of the Whitestone Council, Laurana traveled with Flint, Sturm, and Tas to the High Clerist's Tower. There they set up a hasty defense for the oncoming dragonarmy hordes. Flint and the Tower's defenders fought bravely against the dragonarmies and repelled the armies when Laurana used a dragon orb that was found in the tower. Sadly, Sturm sacrificed himself in single combat against the Dragon Highlord Kitiara Uth Matar to give Laurana the time she needed.

Following the win at the High Clerist's Tower, Laurana found Sturm's Starjewel and placed it on him during his entombment. At a meeting in the city of Palanthas, Gunthar had Laurana promoted to General of the Whitestone Army and an honorary Knight of Solamnia. She gained a large silver dragon named Quallathan as her mount when the good dragons returned. Laurana led her army on a risky counterattack that became known as the Vingaard Campaign, and they were able to liberate lands all the way to Kalaman.

They rode in to liberate Kalaman and were celebrated as heroes. After capturing Kitiara's lieutenant Bakaris, Laurana got a secret letter asking for parlay to trade Bakaris for Tanis. Laurana was captured by the forces of evil and taken to Neraka. There she sat as a prisoner until Tanis arrived.

When Laurana first saw Tanis in the Temple room, she cried out in joy and threw herself at Tanis only to be rebuffed. This angered Laurana and when Tanis later caused the death of Ariakas, she ran from the room to make her escape. When Tanis finally caught up to her, she wanted nothing to do with him and was going to fight him. He convinced her that he was good and only wanted to be with her, and they escaped from Neraka together at the end of the war.

Post War of the Lance

Following the War of the Lance, Tanis and Laurana were married in 353 AC. They had one son named Gilthas Solostaran in the year 368 AC. They made their home, named Journey's End, near Solanthus in Solamnia. Laurana worked diligently as a diplomat between the humans and elves to maintain the alliance formed during the War of the Lance, but they failed in this endeavor. Shortly before the Chaos War broke out, she followed her son Gilthas to Qualinesti. Gilthas was placed on the throne as a puppet king, and Laurana remained to advise him.

Chaos War

During the Chaos War, she was there when her son Gilthas submitted to the Knights of Takhisis and still played a prominent role as the Queen Mother. She later found out that Tanis was killed at the High Clerist's Tower, which deeply saddened her.

Age of Mortals

During the Age of Mortals, Laurana stayed in Qualinost assisting her son in the management of the kingdom, while at the same time trying to free him from his life as a puppet king. One day, a Dragon Overlord named Beryllinthranox claimed dominion over Qualinesti. The elves submitted to Beryl rather than be destroyed. She had a home that overlooked Qualinesti, and she had a falcon named Brightwing.

Laurana was one of only two people to attend the secret wedding of her son to a Kagonesti Elf named Kerianseray. Marshal Alexius Medan, the Knight of Takhisis in charge of Qualinesti, tried to gain Laurana's hand, but before anything could happen the War of Souls broke out.

War of Souls

During the War of Souls, Laurana helped many Qualinesti elves get out of Qualinost before Beryl attacked the city. The remaining elves fought back with their human and dwarven allies. In this final battle, Laurana held Beryl in thrall with Lost Star, and after its use Laurana hurled it from the Tower. She would then use a Dragonlance to kill Beryl, but Beryl's death caused not only Laurana's doom but the destruction of Qualinost. Laurana's body was never recovered and presumably lies in the Lake of Death, but in death, she was reunited with Tanis.

Kender Tales

It was said that Laurana had long sandy hair, and even her full name has been misspelled as Lauranalanthalas. Her birth was put at 278 AC in the book Age of Mortals, but Leaves from the Inn of the Last Home and Tales of the Lance clearly shows that it is 271 AC.

References

• Annotated Dragonlance Chronicles, Autumn Twilight, p. 2
• Annotated Dragonlance Chronicles, Winter Night, p. 608, 633, 666, 678, 822
• Annotated Dragonlance Chronicles, Spring Dawning, p. 1, 999, 1018, 1024, 1025, 1039, 1050, 1129
• Annotated Dragonlance Legends, href="http://www.dlnexus.com/products/363.aspx"Time of the Twins, p. 2
• Annotated Dragonlance Legends, href="http://www.dlnexus.com/products/406.aspx"Test of the Twins, p. 1
• DL2: Dragons of Flame, p. 13
• Dragons of a Fallen Sun, p. 193, 243-247, 269, 281
• Dragons of a Lost Star
• Kindred Spirits, p. 13, 34, 55-56, 117, 142-143, 167-168, 302
• Leaves from the Inn of the Last Home, p. 166
• The Rose and the Skull, p. 35
• Tales of the Lance "Character Card"