Location from Curse of Strahd by Tracy & Laura Hickman, Chris Perkins / Wizards of the Coast
An ancient temple hidden in the mountains where the vestiges of dead dark entities are sealed in amber sarcophagi — the source of Strahd's vampirism and a repository of forbidden power.
The Amber Temple is carved into the frozen face of Mount Ghakis, its entrance hidden by snow and guarded by supernatural cold. It predates Strahd, predates Barovia as a kingdom, predates everything in the valley. It was built by an order of wizards who sought to imprison dangerous entities — vestiges of dead or dying dark powers — by sealing them in amber sarcophagi. The plan worked, mostly. The entities are contained. But they can still whisper. Each sarcophagus offers a dark gift — power, knowledge, immortality, resurrection — at a terrible and often hidden cost. Strahd came here centuries ago and accepted the gift that transformed him into a vampire. The temple is where the curse of Barovia truly began. The temple is guarded by the amnesiac lich Exethanter, populated by flame skulls and arcane constructs, and so cold that unprotected visitors risk death from exposure before they reach the sarcophagi. It is the most dangerous location in Barovia after Castle Ravenloft itself, and it contains the deepest secrets.
Also known as: The Amber Temple, Amber Temple, the temple on the mountain