In Curse Of Strahd, Alexei decided to teach the young seer to fish at Lake Zarovich. In the early morning, no fish were biting, and he got extremely drunk out of boredom, eventually passing out. When he awoke, Arabelle was gone, with signs of a struggle around him. He panicked and rode back to the Vistani Camp to tell Luvash what had happened: in response, Luvash beat the man relentlessly with a whip until Ghalwin Forrester intervened. Covered in blood and slashes, Alexei begged The Pack to not ruin his honor, as he believed he was deserving of further punishment for losing the Captain's daughter.
A Vistani who loved drink, dancing, and swashbuckling, Alexei was one of the most feared swordfighters at the Vistani Camp. His love for wine, however, had cost him over the years; his ocular senses declined rapidly after intense drinking sessions. Desperate to prove Captain Luvash that he was still valuable, he began to heighten his other senses. Despite his poor eyesight, Alexei found ways to fight and remain useful to his camp.
Though his drinking never stopped, his swordplay improved, and he once again became one of the best fighters among the Vistani. He generally stayed at the camp, remaining one of the few Vistana there that were not transient. After ingratiating himself to Luvash, he was put in charge of watching over the Captain's daughter Arabelle whenever the captain or his brother Arrigal were gone from the camp. Alexei developed a kinship with the young girl, teaching her a variety of skills, and was impressed by her wit as well as her nascent divinatory abilities.