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== Background ==
300 years after the [[Cataclysm]], [[Takhisis]], Queen of Darkness and goddess of evil, brought the destroyed temple of the [[Kingpriest_of_Istar|Kingpriest]] to the Abyss, her realm. Using her powers she corrupted it, converting it into a gateway that connected with [[Krynn]] through a ''Foundation Stone'' in [[Neraka|Neraka]].
The ''War of the Lance'' is considered the Fourth Dragon War by the authors of the trilogy.
== The Companions ==
Friends for some time, the ''Companions'' were chosen by [[Paladine|Paladine]], through his avatar, ''Fizban'', to combat the forces of [[Takhisis|Takhisis]].
The group itself was formed by [[Flint_Fireforge|Flint Fireforge]], a hill dwarf, [[Tanis_Half-Elven|Tanis Half-Elven]], [[Sturm_Brightblade|Sturm Brightblade]], a [[Knights _of_Solamnia|Knight of Solamnia]][[Caramon_Majere|Caramon Majere]], a mercenary warrior and his twin brother [[Raistlin_Majere|Raistlin Majere]], a red-robed (later black-robed) [[Wizards_of_High_Sorcery|Wizard of High Sorcery]], [[Tasslehoff_Burrfoot|Tasslehoff Burrfoot]], a [[Kender|kender]], [[Goldmoon|Goldmoon]], the first new Cleric of [[Mishakal|Mishakal]] and her lover [[Riverwind|Riverwind]], a ranger.
Although [[Kitiara_Uth_Matar|Kitiara Uth Matar]], mercenary and half-sister to the Majere twins, was member of the companions in previous adventures, she joined - and eventually came to lead - the [[Blue_Dragonarmy|Blue Dragonarmy]], fighting for Takhisis.
Lord [[Duulket_Ariakas|Ariakas]], son of a dark cleric, agreed to serve Takhisis. He became the first Dragon Highlord, Commander of the five wings of the Dragonarmy of Ansalon. The races in the Dragonarmies were the ogres, the chromatic dragons, the goblins and hobgoblins, draconians, and humans.
Meeting on Sancrist, the remaining free nations formed a temporary alliance in order to fight back against the Dragonarmies. The nations that were part of the alliance were the Knights of Solamnia, the gnomes, the Neidars (hill dwarves), and the people of [[Southern_Ergoth|Southern Ergoth]]. Although not members, the mountain dwarves, the [[Qualinesti|Qualinesti]] and [[Silvanesti|Silvanesti]] elves, and the kender joined to assist the Alliance.
The ''War of the Lance'' began in 348 AC when the Dragonarmies invaded [[Nordmaar|Nordmaar]]. The Dragonarmies quickly overrun Nordmaar, capturing the capital of North Keep and razing its largest port, Valkinord. The Dragonarmies then allied with Salah-Khan, a champion of the Khur tribe, to secure Khur as an ally and then quickly conquered the human nation of [[Balifor|Balifor]] and the kender nation of Goodlund. The Dragonarmies then surrounded [[Silvanesti|Silvanesti]], and the ''Speaker of the Stars'' [[Lorac_Caladon|Lorac Caladon]] made a treaty to forestall an invasion.
On the following year, though, the Dragonarmies broke the pact, and the Red, Blue, and Green Dragonarmies began the invasion of Silvanesti. Highlord Phair Caron, Commander of the Red Dragonarmy, led this invasion, assisted by the black-robed wizard Tramd of Thorbardin, also known as Tramd o' the Dark. The Elves resisted fiercely and both sides suffered heavy casualties as the Dragonarmies slowly advanced on the Elven capital of Silvanost. Lorac Caladon realized his people could not hope to stop the Dragonarmy invasion by force of arms, so he ordered his people to evacuate Silvanesti, fleeing by ship to the distant land of Southern Ergoth, where they founded the city of [[Silvamori Silvamori]]. Lorac stayed behind and once all of his people had been safely evacuated, attempted to use a ''Dragon Orb'', a device created by mages to control dragons. He fails, and Silvanesti is destroyed by its magic, becoming a twisted nightmare. The magic of the dragon orb also caused great devastation to the invading Dragonarmy forces and led to Highlord Phair Caron being murdered by her own fear crazed troops. The Dragonarmies pulled all of their troops out of the wasteland that Silvanesti had become. However, the green dragon Cyan Bloodbane stayed, taking control of Silvanesti, and using its magic to control a weakened Lorac Caladon.
The Dragonarmies spent the next year recovering from the Silvanesti campaign. The dark cleric, Verminaard of Nidus, was given command of the Red Wing. The Red and Blue Wings both prepared for the invasion of Solamnia, while the Green, Black, and White Wings took responsibility for garrisoning the already conquered lands.
In the spring of 351 AC, the Red and Blue Dragonarmies finally began the invasion of [[Solamnia|Solamnia]]. The Blue Wing captured the key port city of Kalaman and then drove deep into Solamnia, overruning the Solamnic provinces of Hinterlund and Nightlund. The Blue Wing then advanced into the Plains of Solamnia, capturing Vingaard Keep, and advancing on the High Clerist Tower, which guarded the land route to the Solamnic capital of Palanthas. Meanwhile the Red Wing, assisted by the human nation of Lemish, and the hobgoblins of Throtl, attacked through the Throtl Gap, overruning the Solamnic provinces of Gaarlund and Heartlund, and capturing the key cities of Solanthus and Thelgaard. However, the Dwarven nation of Kayolin stood firm against the invaders and slowly the weakened Knights of Solamnia began to organize a defense.
In the summer of 351 AC, the Red Wing split in two, with a large force, under the command of Highlord Verminaard, begin sent south across the New Sea. This force was to conquer first the human nation of Abanasinnia, then the Elven nation of Qualinesti, and finally the Dwarven nation of Thorbardin. Verminaard quickly secured the ruins of Xak Tsaroth and the Dwarven fortress of Pax Thrakas, and formed a secret alliance with the dark dwarf Realgar, Thane of the Theiwar.
After five years, the Companions except [[Kitiara_Uth_Matar|Kitiara]] meet in the [[Inn_of_the_Last_Home Inn of the Last Home]] in [[Solace|Solace]].
[[Sturm_Brightblade|Sturm Brightblade]] arrives with two Que-Shu barbarians, [[Riverwind Riverwind]], a warrior, and [[Goldmoon|Goldmoon]], daughter of the Que-Shu chieftain, who carries the ''Blue Crystal Staff'' and were travelling towards [[Haven|Haven]].
An incident occurs in which the true nature of the Crystal Staff arises: the staff is the Healing Staff of [[Mishakal|Mishakal]], recovered by Riverwind from the ruins of [[Xak_Tsaroth|Xak Tsaroth]] while searching for proof of the existence of the old gods his family worshipped. The companions are forced to flee.
Although they tried to reach the city of Haven, they are forced to hide in [[Darken_Wood|Darken Wood]], a cursed forest. Eventually they meet the ''Forestmaster'', the unicorn protector of the woods, who tells them to go to the ruins of Xak Tsaroth to recover the ''Disks of Mishakal''.
Once in the ruins, [[Raistlin_Majere Raistlin]] befriends [[Bupu|Bupu]], a gully dwarf, who helps them find the Disks of Mishakal and a lost spellbook of [[Fistandantilus|Fistandantilus]], protected by the black dragon Khisanth. Goldmoon is blessed by Mishakal, becoming her priest, and with her help the companions defeat the dragon, recover the items and escape to Solace, where the Red Dragonarmy captures and sends them to [[Pax_Tharkas|Pax Tharkas] as slaves, along with [[Tika_Waylan|Tika Waylan]] and [[Paladine|Fizban]], a wizard.
On the way, [[Qualinesti|Qualinesti]] elves freed them, and took them to [[Qualinost Qualinost]], where Goldmoon was accepted as a true cleric of Mishakal by Solostaran Kanan, ''Speaker of the Sun''. Afraid of an invasion, the elves were preparing an exodus to Southern Ergoth. However, the Companions and [[Gilthanas|Gilthanas]], younger son of the ''Speaker of the Sun'', decided to travel to Pax Tharkas through a ''Sla-Mori'', hidden entrance, to rescue the prisoners and delay the invasion. They were joined by [[Laurana_Kanan Laurana Kanan]], sister of Gilthanas and Eben, a mercenary. At Pax Tharkas, however, Eben betrayed the Companions.
The group split, and Fizban and Tasslehoff Burrfoot learn about Highlord Verminaard's plans about the Everman, who is being held captive in the mines. They were discovered, and Ember, Verminaard's dragon mount, hunts them. Fizban sacrifices himself in order to save Tasslehoff.
The Companions and slaves hide in a defendable valley. It is agreed that they ask the dwarves in Thorbardian to provide refuge for the slaves. Flint, Tanis, Raistlin, Caramon, Sturm, Tas, and Tika head to Skullcap to find the key to Thorbardin. Meanwhile, an aurak draconian Dray-yan magically assumes the identity of the dead Verminaard while bozak draconian commander Grag assists him in his plot. The Theiwar and Daergar dwarves have secretly allied with the fake Verminaard. The dwarves will receive the slaves on the condition the [[Hammer_of_Kharas|Hammer of Kharas]] is retrieved, which could unite the dwarven clans. Flint recovers the Hammer of Kharas for them. The draconians, Theiwar, and Daergar attempt to kill him and retrieve the hammer but fail. Dray-yan is killed in the process, and the Theiwar and Daergar retreat. The rest of the dwarven clans agree to shelter the slaves temporarily.
Goldmoon gives the [[Disks_of_Mishakal|Disks of Mishakal]] to [[Elistan|Elistan]], former Seeker, who becomes the first known priest of [[Paladine|Paladine]] since the Cataclysm, and the Companions travel south to [[Tarsis|Tarsis]], where Sturm, Flint, Tanis and Gilthanas are arrested, along with [[Alhana_Starbreeze|Alhana Starbreeze]], daughter of Caladon Lorac, [[Speaker_of_the_Stars|Speaker of the Stars]], who is hiring warriors to try to free Silvanesti.
They are rescued by three [[Knights_of_Solamnia|Knights of Solamnia], Derek Crownguard, Knight of the Rose, and Brian Donner and Aran Tallbow, Knights of the Crown, who were trying to find ancient records of Dragons in a library in the city. With Tasslehoff's [[Glasses_of_True_Seeing|Glasses of True Seeing]], they discover something known as [[Dragon_Orbs|Dragon Orbs]] that can be used to control dragons.
Spies in Tarsis inform a Dragon Highlord of the Companions' whereabouts, and Tarsis is attacked by the armies, including red and blue dragons. The inn where the Companions were located collapses, but Alhana Starbreeze manages to rescue Tanis, Caramon, Raistlin, Riverwind and Goldmoon. Although they refused her offer to accompany her to Silvanesti at first, wanting to find their other friends, her confirmation that a Dragon Orb is located in her country changes their opinion. Meanwhile, the Dragon Highlord, Kitiara, has tracked down the remaining Companions who are still in Tarsis. Obsessed with confronting the elfmaid Laurana, her rival for the heart of Tanis Half-Elven, Kitiara has her forces attack this group while she personally attacks Laurana. With the help of the sivak draconian Slith, Kitiara manages to subdue Laurana and carry her off into an alley; however, the rest of her forces are defeated by the Companions, and the sudden appearance of the three Solamnic Knights forces Kitiara to flee before she has a chance to kill Laurana. Kitiara warns the elfmaid, though, that they will meet again. The Knights join up with the Companions and their group escapes from Tarsis.
In [[Silvanost|Silvanost]], the Companions battle the twisted world of Silvanesti and see future visions in the form of a dream. Raistlin manages to reach the castle, where he confronts [[Cyan_Bloodbane|Cyan Bloodbane]] and defeats him, ending the nightmare. King Lorac Caladon is freed, but dies shortly after. The Companions take the Dragon Orb and leave, but Alhana, new Queen of the Silvanesti, decides to stay to cleanse the country.
Laurana, Sturm, Flint, Taslehoff, Gilthanas, and the knights travel to [[Icewall Icewall]] to retrieve a different Dragon Orb. With the help of the natives of the region, they break into [[Feal-Thas|Feal-Thas']] castle, where Laurana kills him with a [[Frostreaver|frostreaver]]. They locate the ''Dragon Orb'' and a broken artifact that may have once been a [[Dragonlance|Dragonlance]].
Knight of the Sword Brian Donner, and Knight of the Crown Aran Tallbow, die from an onslaught of Feal-Thas' wolves. Knight of the Rose Derek Crownguard decides to take everyone to [[Sancrist|Sancrist Isle]], to bring the Dragon Orb to the [[Whitestone_Council|Whitestone Council]] to decide how to use it.
While travelling by boat, they are attacked by Feal-Thas' white dragon, [[Sleet|Sleet]], and crash-land on Southern Ergoth, where they are taken prisoner by the Silvanesti elves. Upon learning about Laurana's identity, they assign them a Kagonesti healer, Silvara, to treat their wounds, and take them to Qualimori, where the Qualinesti elves were evacuated. They learn that the two elven governments are feuding.
The Qualinesti learn about the Dragon Orb, and lay claim to it. However, the Companions decide to continue with their original goal, and escape from Qualimori taking it with them. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Dragonlance_characters#Silvara Silvara] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Dragonlance_characters#Theros_Ironfeld Theros Ironfeld], known now as Theros Silver Arm because of his artificial arm, joined them.
