[played in the same session concurrently with COS 038 - A Blinding Light]
Ghalwin fell in and out of consciousness as Verity took him eastward, claiming to be directed by the will of the land. They were accompanied by Shredder, who protected the defenseless duo from Barovia's myriad threats, and the paladin first forced them to first go to the caravan where they had left Lydia and Shredder. Neither was anywhere to be seen; despondent, Ghawin was delivered to the Vistani Camp. The Vistani met him with condolences and open arms, but they could not allow him to be seen at the camp on the hill. Vallaki had been opened under Fiona Wachter's rule, and she had a search out for The Pack, having prophesized that both fire and foreign blood were needed to make sunlight shine on Vallaki again.
Captain Luvash ordered Ghalwin be placed in Kasimir Velikov's hovel, and the mutilated man made a kinship with the mutilated elf. Both had made mistakes while trying to protect their sisters, and both had their bodies punished for it by a greater power. As they bonded over a wineskin, Ghalwin sought comfort, but Kasimir gently rejected an alcohol-fueled romantic advance as he saw the paladin grappling with pain. They drank through the night, but after drowning his sorrows, Ghalwin re-focused. Unlike the melancholic elf, he would not depend on wine to dull his suffering; he would better himself, and right the wrongs that had been done to him.
Still possessing healing hands, he earned his keep by curing sick and injured Vistani. Over weeks, he heard calls of ravens watching him, and covertly managed to inform the Keepers of the Feather what had happened. Kasimir told him tales of Barovian history, and revealed that he had taken his last name from an honest Vistani who treated him well after their capture. Velikov was kind to him and Patrina, but had been killed long ago by a ruthless Captain named Zandros. During this period, Ghalwin often consorted with Rudolph van Richten, who's soul remained in the ring on his finger. Death had not brightened the vampire hunter's bleak outlook, but they commiserated and planned together, and Rudolph made sure to keep Ghalwin focused on their end goal.
Ghalwin grew close to Arabelle, who would occasionally sneak away from the camp to visit him. As he fecklessly attempted to train with a stick, the young seer told him that Alexei had learned to fight without sight. Many wine-induced blackouts had blunted his vision, but Alexei remained one of the best swordfighters in the camp. He owed Ghalwin for saving Arabelle and for defending him from Luvash's whip, and agreed to teach him how to see without seeing. Over the course of months, Ghalwin grew confident on using his other senses when fighting, and learned to react where others would hesitate (Alert feat replaces ASI).
As his confidence grew, he began to make brief forays into the Svalich Woods, learning again how to navigate and hunt alongside Verity. Ghalwin wove a dreamcatcher of twigs dedicated to his deceased allies and placed it on a tree, as he had when first making his vow to the Ancients. He re-swore his vow and attuned to the land with an unexpected and unparalleled force. His blackened eyes somehow saw Shakti's portion of the hoop alit in green, Atlas' in blue, and Rudolph's in grey, as a band of golden light encircled the dreamcatcher. Strong winds rose and it was caught in the gale, flying off into the mist, and the magic of the Ancients opened to him. Though still without eyes, the entirety of Barovia presented itself to Ghalwin, granting him a small radius of blindsight.
This moment of singular connection had also allowed the Ladies Three to provide Ghalwin a second gift. As he was washed over by druidic energy, Pip was granted sentience. The cowardly mouse lacked basic knowledge of the world but intuitively spoke Common and understood some difficult concepts, which he referred to as "cursed knowledge". Atop Ghalwin's head or pauldron, Pip was able to act as a second pair of eyes, another gift from the Ancients. Ghalwin returned and easily bested Alexei in sparring, as able a fighter as he ever was. (nat 20 religion gives blind fighting style and Awakens Pip).
van Richten consulted with him on the best move and though both wanted to go to Argynvostholt, they agreed that it was dangerous without allies. Though they wanted to get help from the Vistani, they had no time; somehow, Zandros had returned after hundreds of years, causing an uproar in the camp. If Ghalwin was found, he would likely be given to Fiona or Strahd, so they quickly decided to head westwards. Ghalwin promised Kasimir that he would return when safe and take the elf to the Amber Temple, then departed with Verity, Pip, and the ring of van Richten, without time for proper goodbyes.
Ghalwin found the hard way that Strahd's invitation that protected Atlas had not applied to him. Alongside Verity, Pip Squeak, and the soul of van Richten, he was vulnerable while traversing the Old Svalich Road. Fending off and escaping attacks from dire wolves, scarecrows, and swarms of bats, they headed for the Raven River Crossroads, where he heard the sound of wolf-howls and battle ahead.
Despite Pip's pleas to hide, Ghalwin charged forward into the mist.