of Palanthas, Amothus, Laurana received a message from Lord Gunthar, now the Grand Master of the Knights of Solamnia, appointing her as the commander of the knights guarding Palanthas, more as a political move than anything else. The Palanthians then agreed to enter the war and gave Laurana command of their army as well. Laurana was also reunited with her brother Gilthanas, who gave her further proof that Tanis was with Kitiara. Convinced she had lost Tanis to Kitiara, a heartbroken Laurana could do nothing but throw herself fully into her new command role. The appointment of Laurana as a General soon proved to be an inspired choice as she led her army, now aided by good dragons, onto the offensive, defeating the Dragonarmies in a series of battles known as the Vingaard Campaign and freeing the city of Kalaman. Laurana's innovative tactics were instrumental in winning these battles, and the grateful people of Solamnia nicknamed her the "Golden General" for her golden hair and radiant nature. The Solamnics believed she was their good luck charm. The luck would not last. Kitiara, who dismissed Laurana's many victories over her as a "fluke" was already planning a counterstrike. She believed that if she captured the Golden General it would destroy the morale of the good armies and make it easy to reconquer all the land she had lost in the Vingaard Campaign. To set this clever plan into motion Kitiara used Laurana's weakness: Tanis. Kitiara believed Laurana would put her feelings for Tanis above the well being of her people, so she set her trap for Laurana by sending the elfwoman a false message claiming that Tanis was dying and wanted to see her which Kitiara would only allow in exchange for Laurana releasing Bakaris (who had been captured during the Vingaard Campaign). Flint Fireforge and Tasslehoff Burrfoot both tried to convince Laurana that Kitiara was lying and the message was a trap, but Laurana, who was already convinced that Tanis was with Kitiara, believed the message and thinking (based on her prior encounter with Kitiara at the High Clerist's Tower where Kitiara had behaved as a honorable enemy and had not tried to harm Laurana even after catching her in an extremely vulnerable position) that she understood Kitiara and could trust her to honor a truce, decided to make the exchange. Flint and Tasslehoff then insisted on accompanying Laurana to