Atop Mount Ghakis - expanded maps and content for Curse of Strahd
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A strange connection to the early conquests of Count Strahd von Zarovich¸ the Order of the Silver Dragon¸ and the wild folk is hidden atop Mount Ghakis. At one of its icy peaks roosts a fearsome roc¸ known to carry away entire wagons as they attempt to cross the Luna River. This cold and unforgiving peak towers over Tsolenka Pass¸ marking the site of horrors committed long ago. The few surviving adventurers and wild folk who have dared to climb the peak report sightings of a horrific goat larger than a warhorse¸ blood dripping from its horns. Will the heroes reverse one of Strahd's acts of corruption¸ or will their bones join the pile that forms the roc's nest?
A Curse of Strahd Adventure - What's this all About?
In Chapter 9¸ Tsolenka Pass¸ Curse of Strahd introduces an intriguing location¸ typically visited en route to the Amber Temple. Other than a few mundane monster encounters and perhaps a brief appearance from a roc and an intelligent goat¸ Tsolenka Pass and the ominous Mount Ghakis are never fleshed out. Strahd can teleport to one of the guard towers at Tsolenka Pass¸ but the campaign provides little reason why he would ever do such a thing.
What if the Roc of Mount Ghakis was dominated by Strahd to defeat the Order of the Silver Dragon and compelled to keep adventurers from reaching the Amber Temple? What if Sangzor is more than a mere intelligent goat¸ but actually an ancient druid mutilated by the devil Strahd? This adventure aims to turn these hypotheticals into a reality in your campaign with a thrilling new adventure for parties traveling along Tsolenka Pass.
As always¸ it is up to you how much of the content you want to use. It's perfectly fine to use some parts of this supplement while discarding others¸ or simply let the ideas presented here inspire new ideas of your own. This adventure is intended for parties of 4 to 6 characters with an average level of 7 to 9 and is intended to take place before or after the party visits the Amber Temple.
This Adventure Includes:
Four Adventure Hooks¸ that meld with the story of Curse of Strahd. A New (Revised) NPC¸ Sangzor¸ the Moon Druid who takes the form of a monstrous goat! A New Location¸ the treacherous slopes of Mount Ghakis! VTT-Ready Color Maps¸ two custom-made for Mount Ghakis and the Roc's Nest both gridded and ungridded. Monsters from Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft¸ let your party face off against the new gallows speaker monster!
Adventure Summary
The adventure starts as the party makes their way through Tsolenka Pass. As they cross the stone bridge over the Luna River¸ the Roc of Mount Ghakis swoops down¸ grabs a character¸ and flies off towards the peak of Mount Ghakis. The party must complete a series of skill checks as they climb the mountain. After some time¸ they have an encounter with a savage goat who is more than he seems. After a battle¸ the goat reveals itself to be a druid who goes by the name Sangzor. Sangzor explains that the Roc of Mount Ghakis is a slave to Strahd and asks the party to help free it. He escorts the party to one of the peaks of the mountain where they battle a gallows speaker ghost¸ who assaults the characters with haunted memories of the past. After the ghost is defeated¸ it lets out a wail calling the roc back to its nest. The party must battle the roc to escape with their lives by either freeing it from its evil bondage or killing it for good.
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