Drift's Account of the Mission: (sorry if it is too long or full of typos, but I think he got most of it) I knew this was the right move! The elders were wrong to worry. Just being here has already strengthened my bond; I swear when I focus I can feel the tooth hum against my skin! Imagine the progress I could make if I could get some proper training under my belt! One quick visit to the rumor board later and I had a job in hand, and the only thing missing was a party of fellow adventurers. Luck will have it that there are plenty of adventuring types in Hope and before long I stood amidst a group of six others. Having spent months traveling to hope, I have seen many a human and a handful of other races, but nothing compared to the current make-up of our group. First, and the most experienced of the group, was Reginald T. Tealeaf. At one point he even joked about his name being a sort of joke on the word thief. . . or was the joke teabag? I forget, but he was a wonderful little man and with a keen pair of eyes. Next was Thrella, who I will describe as elf-like in every way but seemed to be a bit darker, in both appearance and personality. Regardless her heavily armored form would be welcome company, this I was sure of! Then, staring out of the front gate as if we didn’t exist, was an orc, but don’t be fooled. This orc, named Qa’arn, is a student of the arcane and worship a god of death. Spooky! Once again, glad he was on our side. I’m not ready to face down any god let alone one of death! In stark contrast to the previous two party members we have Cinnamon, the pixie, and once again looks would deceive you. She was a bodyguard! If people will pay someone of her statue to protect them from harm, then she has to be the best dang bodyguard on this entire plane of existence! With the combined front of Thrella and Cinnamon I doubted anything could stop us!. Next was Sigi and Pebbles, a man-and-beast duo of devastating ability! Sigi called himself a Stonehide Trollkin and that was made evident by, well the ummm stones growing out if his hide I guess! Pebble, the trollhound, shared this distinct quality and was easily twice as vicious! The pair of them could probably even give members of our tribe a run for their money. Finally , perhaps the most unusual of our party, Meth the Walking Crystal!?! Seeming made out of gemstone, Meth proved to be one of, if not the most intelligent of the whole group. In fact due to his make-up he lacked the need to sleep or eat and made his opinion very clear on how weak all carbon-based lifeforms are that require sleep. After all appropriate introductions were made, we began our trek to search for the missing children. I spent my time traveling with the party as a scout and I rode ahead to look for shortcuts or would be ambushes. Luckily no ill intentions were had for us that day and our path towards our destination was free of harm. Reaching the end of daylight we decided to made camp alongside of the road. We all took turns at watch and luckily our night went undisturbed. Our morning on the other hand, was full of action. Apparently overnight teeny tiny beetles were attracted to our food and water and now there were so many of them that if we didn’t do something fast, all of our supply would become depleted. However, with quick thinking, teamwork, and a bit of fairy on beetle intimidation, we managed to save our supply and also by luck discovered goblin tracks! I was ecstatic, everything was working out for us, but as the groups discussion turned to where the goblin tracks lead, I could help but notice the change in tone. Apparently these tracks went right through a mausoleum that was the home to some pretty nasty gargoyle like creatures. Upon arriving, Reggie noticed a statue of a dwarf. After investigating it further, Reggie discovered a secret compartment and pocketed an iron key. Around that same time across the road, someone discovered a gravestone with Sigi’s name written on it. A bit strange seeing as Sigi did not plan on dying any time soon. Seeing enough we tried to sneak across the front yard w hen all of a sudden, two greenish gargoyles sprang from the roof and dived upon us. After seeing how useless the majority of our attacks were on these new foes we made the decision to continue on our way to our real objective, but unfortunately Meth’s newly purchased mule was the cost of our escape. Following the tracks to the mouth of a cave, we overheard a hooded figure talking to a goblin about slaves and more importantly dragon artifacts! Now we didn’t hear much more of that conversation but as he turned to leave I swear he looked right at the bush we were concealed in, but then he uttered a word and teleported away. During that moment I discovered that my hand had traveled up subconsciously to grasp ahold of my necklace. Why would this man be seeking draconic artifacts? I do not know, but the thought of such items being used by kidnappers and slavers could not be tolerated to become a reality. With determination in our eyes we marched into the narrow confines of the cave and nearly to our deaths as the light from our lanterns lead to the unleashing of several fire bombs. It was at this time when I felt the tooth dangling from around my belt begin to buzz. Clutching it with one hand and placing the other on a wounded Thrella, I was surprised by the sudden shock that ran through my body and into the wounded fighter who suddenly looked to be fairing a bit better. Everything seemed to be making a turn for the better until the next round of bombs and bolts rained down on my companions. Here I will make a quick note that Cinnamon’s services as a bodyguard are well praised. She stepped in and took the blow for both Reggie and Thrella over the course of ten seconds and then shrugged it off as if it never happened shortly after. With the combined efforts of Reggie, Sigi, Pebbles, and Meth we were able to clear out the goblins from the first room. Noticing how spent we appeared, we decided to make camp outside of the cave and rest a b it to recover from our previous battle. In the morning we decided that we should have a plan in place this time to allow smoother travel through the dark cave. Being one of the only two of our party with darkvision, Qa’arn volunteered to scout ahead. A few moments passed without hearing back from our scout when all of a sudden I, and I am pretty sure Reggie, heard a loud sound coming from further along in the cave. Quickly pressing on we found more goblins and two of these large wolf-like creatures. While combat in the corridors proved to be difficult and frustrating to say the least, once we breached the room, we made quick work of the goblins present. Fearing that we may need to rethink our strategy, we decided to return to Hope and maybe return when we can come up with a plan of action. The matter of the missing children is really upsetting, but my mind keeps wandering back to the hooded figure and his desire for draconic artifacts. I don’t even know his name, but I do know that I want nothing more than to prevent him from using the magnificent power of Dragonkind to further his obviously underhanded agenda. Regardless of the outcome of the mission, I can feel my connection to the talisman growing. Where else could that energy have come from than from within it. I can feel connection with it growing, and while not yet at full strength, the soul awakes to my fury!
