This chapter overhauls the Tsolenka Pass:
Bigger Barovia. The Companion extends the trek to the Amber Temple into a grueling four-day journey, each with its own events, featuring Sangzor, the Snow Maidens, the Roc of Mount Ghakis, and even Sir Godfrey Gwilym.
The Gauntlet of Mount Ghakis. Embracing the Exploration pillar, the Companion includes rules for blizzards, avalanches, and extreme weather to color the ordinarily mundane journey to the Amber Temple. Thanks to the Dark Powers, the adventurers cannot truly achieve a long rest and are harried by foul weather for the entire four-day journey up Mount Ghakis.
The Snow Maidens Fair. The chapter utilizes the specters haunting Tsolenka Tower, who are ordinarily only present if a Fortune of Ravenloft is in the tower. The Companion rewrites the Snow Maidens as a crack commando unit Strahd charged with guarding Tsolenka Pass centuries ago. These soldiers were led by Strahd's (newly invented by the Companion) cousin, Minadora von Zarovich, who refuses to believe she was exiled to Tsolenka so as to remove a potential claimant from Strahd's court. Now the specters persist in undeath, still wholly devoted to their duty. The adventurers must deal with these ghostly soldiers to climb further up Mount Ghakis.
Lugdana's Legacy. The Companion rewrites the roc of Mount Ghakis. Before, it was just a random monstrosity lairing in the Balinok Mountains. Now, the roc is the giant raven that delivered the *holy symbol of ravenkind* to the paladin Lugdana long ago. The Dark Powers have corrupted this once magnificent beast.
Revision. Strahd has been written out of this chapter, as his presence, I fear, detracts from the overall experience.
Dramatis Personae. A handy guide detailing all characters featured in this chapter of the campaign, with advice and variants.
Areas of Note. A guide to swiftly running the chapter's areas.
DM Notes. Notes including but not limited to spicing up the region with valuable roleplay with select NPCs.
Magic Item Descriptions. Save yourself the time of digging through the Dungeon Master's Guide to determine how the magic items in this chapter work.
Monster Stats. Time is precious, and matters all the more in combat. Appendix B has the statistics for the NPCs used in this chapter!
- from the publisher's blurb