I had a really good idea.

Cold Hands is in the arena prison, arguably in the sorting for slavery.
Kontina is the only place where Necromancers don't get got for attempting true resurrection.
Most Vampires in the setting are 'natural'; no one is sure where they came from but they've been around for millennia.
When a Necromancer attempts resurrection, the result is a malformed, traumatically deranged Vampire.

So, hear me out - it might even be fun to start with this scene - Cold Hands is pitted against an Aberrant Vampire raised for a spectacle in the arena because they've mistaken her for one of the vampire-hunting monk orders.
Chwegwn is the only person who bets on her and when she wins (she has a secret weapon in this particular fight that even she doesn't know about, so I know she'd win with no dice fudging) he technically wins her indenture contract.
And presumably sets her free before she joins the crew.