Happy Thanksgiving friend monks and nuns! Enjoy ze holiday

*gives them an unlimited supply of ping pong balls and puzzle booklets

That is indeed a most marvelous distraction, High Knight! Thou must tell us when thy story hast been released, so one of its copies may find its way to the Monastery library.

I thank the wandering Marshwiggle, Silver-Tongued Speaker (I think? ), and the good Wolf for their kind Thanksgiving wishes! May they hath had a happy day of thankfulness and food as well.

Outside the Monastery. . . .
(A tall dryad with a very fashionable blindfold pushed up on her brow is seen leading a nanny goat towards a group of waiting monks near the Monastery doors.)

I apologize for mine tardiness! Yesterday I went to procure a goodly amount of beeswax from the Monastery beehives so we shall be protected shouldst auditory spoilers assail us on our quest (and the bees were not as peaceful as the monks who tend them ), and t'was many hours more before I couldst coax Etiteppa out of the pasture. I believeth the Monastery kitchen ist also now short on carrots.

It gladdens my heart to be traveling with so many stalwart monks! Monk Winty, thy More-of-a-Horse-than-a-Dog is very welcome on this endeavor, and thy foresight to packeth cookies and marmalade wilt be doubtless much appreciated, Lady Wanderer! And what a lovely name hast thy horse, Silver Nomad! Mine contribution to this fine enterprise, aside from the beeswax, wilt be thermoses of cappuccino and a week's worth of biscotti for all.

Oh, and a map. I found it in the Chamber of Scrolls, and Etiteppa ate half of it, but t'was the part concerning the sea, and thankfully our quest ist not an ocean voyage. Unfortunately, though, this map still doth not contain any details of where the Marshmallow Tree is to be found.

However, there is an ancient text (I knew mine obsession with the Room of Records wouldst payeth off someday! ) that sayeth that those who seeketh this fabled tree must first find a cave at the foot of three mountains. It is said that in this cave there wilt be danger, but also houseth the answer to which mountain our merry band must summit in order to find the mythical tree we desire. Hast anyone heard tell of such a cave, or know of anything or anyone who might help leadeth us to it?

^^ I don't know if you'd call this help, Villain-to-Be, but it may at least save you a trip. It might be hard to find that mythical tree of yours, considering that my *ahem* chainsaw found it first.

~Riella

AHHH!!! Chainsaw! Not a chainsaw!! I hate chainsaws- zey scare me to my bones- I fear zem more than most of ze dryads! AAHHHH!

*commences running around screaming and yelping*

I fear zem more than most of ze dryads!*

You fear Dryads? Dryads like our dear Rose? Well, after all, she is a Villain-to-Be...

~Riella

Tis true story. If thou hast an injury with a chainsaw, all you have to do is say the word 'chainsaw' at the emergency room and thou shalt go first ahead off everyone else. Mine parents learned this the hard way when the tree branch had a most unexpect nail in it. It wasn't a serious injury on the head when the chain snapped, but it looked like it was when it happened. They took him ahead of everyone.

I fear zem more than most of ze dryads!*

You fear Dryads? Dryads like our dear Rose? Well, after all, she is a Villain-to-Be...

No I fear ze chainsaw more zan most dryads do.

Silver-Tongued Speaker, I fear that thou art mistaken. For I too have heard legends of this fabled marshmallow tree. And all the legends clearly state that such a tree cannot be destroyed by means of chopping, cutting, pushing, or huff-puff-puffing (forgive my big bad wolf reference, good Wolf ). So, if thy chainsaw was able to disconnect such a tree from the ground, it must not hath been the one we art seeking.

Good Wolf, I know thou art a Pilgrim, but I wondered (with the consent of mine fellow monks, of course) if thou might wish to come along? We could certainly use some extra protection on this journey.

*looks around* It appears that we art all gathered. Shalt we be off?

Silver the Wanderer, Ah no offence taken

and I would thoroughly enjoy accompanying (sp?) ye all on zis journey, I do so love adventures

I do also find myself of thine opinion, Wanderer of the Silver Hue, that such a quested-for object like a marshmallow tree canst not be destroyed by mundanely dangerous items like chainsaws.

Tho, if it be true, yet we have a quest to go on, for some things must be seen to be believed--and perchance there might be a way to heal the tree if 'twas chopped down. Or a seedling hidden away in a little dell, perchance...

Anyway, we art not to be deterred from our quest so easily.

Verily, I wouldst welcome the company of the fine wolfloversk.

*trips over something she can't see and lands on her dog/horse, only to find she can ride her dog/horse quite nicely* Ah, this is easier than tripping along. Let me know when we approach a flat place, and I will give him a rest.

Silver-Tongued Speaker, I fear that thou art mistaken. For I too have heard legends of this fabled marshmallow tree. And all the legends clearly state that such a tree cannot be destroyed by means of chopping, cutting, pushing, or huff-puff-puffing (forgive my big bad wolf reference, good Wolf ). So, if thy chainsaw was able to disconnect such a tree from the ground, it must not hath been the one we art seeking.

Heh heh, maybe not. But it did make for a nice marshmallow roast around the campfire we made with it's trunk. It's too bad y'all weren't at the Lair to join in with us...

~Riella: the Silver-Tongued Speaker of Awesomness, and Master of Dissension.

West of the Monastery. . .
Pray tell, Silver-Tongued Speaker, why art thee trailing this monkly expedition? Hath thee been sent to sabotage this noble quest? Or ist thou, deep down inside, wishing she couldst join this enterprise which art filled of the joys that only an unsullied life can bring, but know not how to admit it? Perhaps I shalt give thee a new nickname! How doth Monk-to-Be soundeth to you?

Welcome to the quest, Most Honorable of Wolves! I am glad thou hast joined us, and thy fellow pilgrims wilt be as well, when they hath tasted the marshmallows we shalt bringeth back. Also, I feel we art less likely to hath pine cones thrown at our merry band—*looks pointedly at the Monk-to-Be* —with thou along for the ride.

In these past few days of travel, I hath walked into no more than ten or so trees, a couple of vending machines (yum!) and a handful of parking meters, and only once didst I fall off a cliff. The quest ist going swimmingly.

I am surprised that though we hath bumped (literally ) into many a wanderer on our wanderings, none hath known anything about the cave which holds the key to finding the Marshmallow Tree. But we wilt not let that deter us.

Though I am loath to admit it, I slept not a wink last night, and instead sat close to the campfire and watched the night with wide eyes, for I had heard sounds which causeth mine dryad heart to tremble. (Perhaps underneath all the roses that groweth over mine tree, there ist a quaking aspen? ) Hath any of mine fellow questers heard a low moan coming from the mountains we approacheth? Or perhaps a sighing, or a wailing? I hath heard them all thricefold and very audible, but then, the sight and hearing of the dryad ist not quite like that of the human. It maketh me wonder if we art coming to territory that ist guarded by phantoms, or perhaps a giant with indigestion.

*Yawning, the dryad tries to save the rest of the Biscotti from Etiteppa's insatiable stomach*

*wearing her blindfold, blindly stumbles into one of the Monasterians, jerks back, and puts up her blindfold so that she can see*

My apologies for stumbling into you! As you can see, I have been making good use of this blindfold, for I wish not to drown in spoilers.

What's this? The Monastery dwellers are out questing for the Marshmallow Tree? I have heard tell of this legendary tree, though I know not much of it than you yourselves. In any case, this quest has sparked my curiosity about it. Perhaps I also shall have to see if I can find any knowledge of the whereabouts of this Tree to share. All I know from the stories of it that I have heard is that it is west of the Monastery, somewhere beyond the mountains. So at least while you have little information, if you stay on the path you are on, you know you are on the right track.

The minions have ventured out of the Lair and had a campfire, good Silver-Tongued Speaker? Is this a new trend? Does the openness of the outside air call to you?

In these past few days of travel, I hath walked into no more than ten or so trees, a couple of vending machines (yum!) and a handful of parking meters, and only once didst I fall off a cliff. The quest ist going swimmingly. ... Hath any of mine fellow questers heard a low moan coming from the mountains we approacheth? Or perhaps a sighing, or a wailing? I hath heard them all thricefold and very audible, but then, the sight and hearing of the dryad ist not quite like that of the human. It maketh me wonder if we art coming to territory that ist guarded by phantoms, or perhaps a giant with indigestion.

Oh, do be more careful!

I to hath heard ze eerie sounds from ze mountains...tis no wolf I can assure ye of zat. Tis no human either. Me hopes it be no phantom...perhaps it is only ze wind?