My submission is
up.
I hope you all enjoy.
Spoiler-safe, in case the judges are lurking about...
[SBLOCK=Comment on IVV's Entry]First of all, I would like to say that I love your use of the "granite shield" ingredient...a granite shield volcano? Awesome. But my inner geology geek has been wimpering like a kicked puppy, because well...there's just no such thing. Andesidic magma is just too thick, chunky, and volatile to form a shield volcano (in fact, it normally explodes into ash and pyroclastics on contact with air.) Only basalt, with it smooth-flowing pāhoehoe, can spread out far enough to make a shield. Molten granite doesn't "flow," so it ends up making composites or cinder cones instead of shields.
Okay, my inner geology geek feels a lot better.
That said, I love the mystery you are building here, with regard to the monastery and the halflings. Where did these exotic foods come from, if nothing grows in this volcanic wasteland? And I love how the demon's power, control, and even its life, centers around food and the magical frying pan. (A vampire? OF COURSE he would be able to defeat the demon...he doesn't eat!)
Brilliant use of the ingredients. This is my favorite submittal so far.[/SBLOCK]