As Ghalwin and Lance vigilantly watched Eva's tent, Jino told Jarmo and Shakti of a non-Barovian spellcaster who had attempted to rally an insurrection against Strahd, roughly a year prior. The effort had failed, and the adventurer was supposedly cast dead into the Ivlis River. Jino proved a warm companion, explaining that the Vistani had been allies of the vampire lord since a pact from long ago, a bond that allowed them to travel freely through the mists.
Ghalwin led an ocarina-led tune to impress the Vistani, and the dancer Floriana in particular. He could not, however, "seal the deal", and his lack of courting experience came back to haunt him. Jarmo informed Floriana that they were traveling to ensure that "this bitch will be safe", but the Vistana seemed mostly just confused at the Goliath's slang. Ireena later confided to Shakti that her divination foretold she was cursed to belong to Strahd forever. Exhausted, she eventually fell asleep against Jarmo’s shoulder; the bashful giant responded in kind.
The party slept in a communal tent and woke refreshed. They attempted to purchase a horse from Jino, but were refused reasonable terms; they Vistani were a nomadic people who treated their horses with reverence, but even beyond the cultural connection, many had recently been stolen from their encampment by a massive predator. With no other option, the quartet took their leave and continued on foot along the Ivlis River, eventually realizing that the gold rings they had taken from the Durst Manor had been robbed in their sleep.
Before half a day had passed, a feral person speaking only broken Druidic cut them off. From the trees emerged its creations: four Twig Blight, a Needle Blight, and a Vine Blight. The monstrous Plants surrounded Jarmo and Ireena while the druid took on the rest, nearly killing Lancelot with a burst of thunderous magic. Jarmo drew the creatures’ focus with his crimson rite, eventually falling under their assault while Ireena danced around him with defensive swordplay. The druid attempted to bind Ghalwin and Shakti in vines, utterly failed, and fled, but was torn down by Shakti in Dire Wolf form. Ghalwin helped destroy the remaining blights, saving Jarmo and Ireena, and the quartet rested briefly before continuing toward Tser Falls.
As night fell and fog thickened around the bridge, they saw a familiar sight cutting through the mists: the skeleton rider atop his undead horse. It dropped a sack as it passed, which Ghalwin prayedmight be a Bag of Holding; and suddenly, a chill swept over him as his prayer was answered. Amused and unsettled, the party dubbed the rider the “Bonerider”, but found that he had indeed dropped the magical dimensional bag that Ghalwin had dreamed of. They made camp short of the bridge, but were woken by a howling wind that gathered where Ghalwin had retrieved the bag.
Uneasy, the quartet broke camp early and crossed the great stone bridge suspended far above the river; near the northern edge, they heard sobbing at an unmarked grave. A frenzied Ghost emerged, attempting to possess Shakti and Lancelot and hurl their possessed bodies from the cliff. As they tried to run, Jarmo used his size to restrain them, and Ireena struck their companions to drive the spirit out. With a divine smite, Ghalwin managed to sunder the ghost; the horrors persisted, but so did they.