My party of six 3rd-level characters are setting out on a death dog hunt, and I could use some ideas about how to structure it and ways to spice it up.

Backstory is that they're hunting the death dog that brought disease to a halfling family. What they don't know but will find out is that the death dog was kicked out of a pack (alpha struggle) that serves an antagonist tied to the paladin PC. The death dog, scarred and brooding, made a new home for itself in the Lyrchwood where it has taken control of a pack of wild dogs.

Lyrchwood is from Night Below, and is described as having no major predators, a roughly 27 mile long, 12 mile wide stretch of larch woods which was once used for logging. Night Below mentions the wild dogs, but I added the death dog.

I know a couple things for sure:

• I want there to be some aspects of exploration.
• I'm going for a Black Hound / Hound of Ill Omen kind of vibe, and will use Lair Actions to reinforce that.
• Two PCs (paladin and ranger) have canine companions which may be swayed by the death dog's "Howl of the Pack."
• A new PC (moon druid) will be joining the party during their hunt, to replace a PC who died last session.
• I have the "main fight" as 12 mastiffs and a death dog... though I'm brainstorming a way for the PCs to free the wild dogs from the death dog's "spell", since there are many animal lovers in the party and likely they'll want to spare the animals.

[SBLOCK=Lair Action ideas]
The Black Hound
The Black Hound is a two-headed monstrosity that terrorizes the Lyrchwood. Its two heads symbolize the two cultural undercurrents running thru the village of Cairngorm's Hollow: The Old Ways of sacrificing magic-users to the Wizening Tree vs. the new ways of tolerance and denying the spirits advocated by the feudal noble Lady Bridgette. Sages, druids, and witches believe that until the Hollow settles on a united course for their village, the Black Hound cannot be killed.

Stats: Death Dog with 48 hit points, and on natural 20 knocks prone and deals +1d6 damage.

Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing all initiative ties), the Black Hound can use one of its lair action options. The Black Hound cannot use the same lair action in consecutive rounds.

Disorienting Howl: All hostile creatures or prey within 120 feet must make a DC 12 Intelligence saving throw or become lost and be unable to take reactions until the end of their next turn.
Howl of Ill Omen: All creatures within 120 feet that can see the Black Hound must make a DC 12 Charisma saving throw or suffer vulnerability to all damage and be immune to magical healing. >> this may target only guilty creatures a la Hound of Ill Omen, or perhaps such creatures suffer disadvantage on their save??
Howl of the Pack: All mastiffs within 120 feet make a saving throw or Escape attempt, and either 3 mastiffs join the fight at the edge of the map or canine animal companions must make a DC 12 Charisma saving throw or become charmed by the death dog and run off to join the pack.
Trace of Death: Tracks of the Black Hound and any mastiffs within 120 feet turn black and cause nearby plant life to wither; any creature attempting to follow these tracks must make a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of the Black Hound until ??
Shadow Hunt: Until the end of the Black Hound’s next turn, any time it or a mastiff in its pack knocks a creature prone, the creature and any adjacent mastiffs planeshift to the Shadowfell until the start of the creature’s next turn.[/SBLOCK]

Hit me with your ideas!

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