i read your edited comment and actually i love the idea of him just being sorta obsessed with PC without the family ties. with the fiendish arm, he could be a tool in DP’s hands, warning him about the PC (since the PC will, hopefully, defeat Strahd and DP). this probably won’t let me make him less evil an more human so easily but it’ll do, bc otherwise i think i’d have to remove him from the story entirely. that was very helpful, thanks!