Session 27: To the Winding Passes

In their latest adventure, the three remaining members of the party--Trystan, ifig, and Meepo--arrived to Meepo's hometown, Lire. Though Meepo was afraid of the reception he would receive upon his return, especially considering his responsibility in the burning of the local tavern and inn, tensions were not quite as high towards him as he was expecting.    Immil, owner of the Tired Heart and leader of the Valriel clan of dragonborn in Lire, seemed to recognize Meepo immediately despite his color change and attempts to hide his appearance. Though Immil was disappointed with the way things were left upon Meepo's leave, she seemed genuinely glad to see that no harm had come to Meepo.    The party relayed to Immil why they were traveling to Lire and their desire to investigate the Winding Passes--the location of Meepo's home and where his pack was killed. Immil told the party that they had made a trip up there recently to retrieve whatever texts they could scavenge, but that they had to come abck down into Lire after a hellhound was spotted somewhere nearby. After the deaths of the kobolds, the dragonborn have had to put together their books themselves and salvage what they can from what was either destroyed or ruined in the attack. Immil said that there were other similar attacks in other locations throughout the Acadia Range, and while Immil does not know much about those, she did provide the party information that the texts the kobolds had been working on before the attack dealt with pre-Shattering lore.   Immil warned the party of teh danger in the Winding Passes, but did not try to stop them from their investigation, instead offering them the help of a tabaxi scribe named Aspen, who has been assisting the dragonborn in their restoration efforts. Immil introduced the party to Aspen and then escorted them to a home that they could stay in for the night before departing for the caves.   The party took their rest and made for the Winding Passes in the morning along with their new companion, Aspen. At the caves, they found the remnants of the pack that used to live there, though the place was very much abandoned and ruined, glue secreting unchecked from the walls and piles of papers and bindings strewn throughout the cavern. Signs of the same scorch marks were found near the location of the books, and ifig was able to discern the tell-tale signs of tracks leading deep into the caverns where Meepo's pack was told never to venture.    Unhappy with hellhounds roaming his home, Meepo asked that the party track them down and kill them. The party delved into the tunnels, following them deeper into the mountains before stumbling upon a sleeping group of three hellhounds. The hounds were stirred from their slumber and a fight broke out in the cavern as a fourth hound was called into the fray. With the aid of Aspen, the party was able to dispatch all four of the hounds. Though, as they sat to catch their breath for what might remain further in, realization hit that there had been a set of five tracks, meaning one hound was missing and there may be more beyond.