When I say Drow you say...

[sambouchah]

So the other day our DM got sick and texted us as I arrived to the game(Usually we car pool so it was just about everyone). We had planned on starting a new game because we had a new player joining and an old one leaving. I was appointed dungeon master of the day so we could actually do things. And I believe I am the new dungeon master...

While DMing I had sent them off on a simple rescue the princess type mission which they accomplished after interrogating the changeling they thought was the mayor's daughter and killing a desert troll(they are in the desert).

After that the Rogue walked around trying to learn about any herbalists in the city. He found one who was a witch and then cast a charm spell(Twisting the heart strings), which he rapidly failed his saves and fell madly "in love" with her. She asked him to go get a pendant back from some Drow who stole it from her.
Then the fighter went to see her to gather information after the rogue ran into the Half-Orc. She drugged him(the fighter) and he was of little use to the party for some time.

Anyhow after some time of walking through the desert they were attacked by large stinging insects that flew out of a cactus. Upon inspecting the abnormally large cactus(80ft tall and 40ft around) they find a door. Upon opening the door they meet a large group of studying elves. The rogue asked one for some parchment and irritated one of the busy elves.

After some time, talking to the wizard cult(no one but the fighter knows this), he finds out they are A, trying to summon Cthulhu so they die swiftly and b, all demonologists.(they kept all this a secret from the paladin)

Now to the Drow... I don't know what to do about them. I was thinking it was a Fang Scarab(our rogue always wants to be a fang of lolth) that was stolen from the drow that they wanted back(by stealing it) but would a drow really go into a desert to accomplish this? It doesn't have to be a fang scarab, just some sort of important drow religious item. Or should it even be drow at all?

Thanks in advance, Sam

[Agincourt]

It sounds like you're having trouble getting past the idea of drow entering the desert to recover an item. If that's the problem, you could say that another race recovered it for the drow. Drow frequently have slaves from "lesser" races. Perhaps they send Desert Kobolds (Unearthed Arcana variant) to recover the item for them.

If that doesn't suit your fancy, the drow could be operating at night, so as to avoid the sunlight penalties.

[sambouchah]

It sounds like you're having trouble getting past the idea of drow entering the desert to recover an item. If that's the problem, you could say that another race recovered it for the drow. Drow frequently have slaves from "lesser" races. Perhaps they send Desert Kobolds (Unearthed Arcana variant) to recover the item for them.

If that doesn't suit your fancy, the drow could be operating at night, so as to avoid the sunlight penalties.

They did go out at night to retrieve it. I was just wondering what could be so important that drow would go themselves

[Agincourt]

Since the item is pretty much just a Macguffin, the description of it isn't too important. Make it a minor artifact of Lolth, and to have it in the hands of an unworthy race would greatly displease Her. You should stat it out, but the most important thing is just that the drow care about it because Lolth cares about it.

[Ellrin]

Drow are extremely chaotic, with the only semblence of order in their lives imposed by fear of Lolth, the church, and the houses (in that order). Since all three of those entities are themselves extremely chaotic, as well, its entirely within the realm of possibility (and even quite probable) that a drow could have lost something on his own that was important enough to him alone for him to want to get it back; and thanks to the hierarchical system, unless the drow in question was a complete bottom feeder, he would have access to other drow to help him--they'd sooner stab him in the back than help him, but he'd know that and make sure he had proper leverage.

As for the item, it could well be anything--a piece of mica that happened to bear a passing resemblance to a lizard if you squint hard enough. As I keep stressing, drow are chaotic.

[nedz]

Easy: the Drow sent an adventuring party out to recover the McGuffin — happens all the time. This party doesn't need to be Drow, they could be anyone they hired. Bonus points are available if you manage to get the Drow to hire the PCs — but that might be a bit much.

[KillianHawkeye]

As for the item, it could well be anything--a piece of mica that happened to bear a passing resemblance to a lizard if you squint hard enough. As I keep stressing, drow are chaotic.

I think you're confusing chaotic with flat-out crazy. A drow wouldn't care about something just because it maybe kinda looked like a lizard. Maybe a slaad would do that, but they really ARE crazy. Or are they the only ones who are sane?