The Mountain That Answers Its Name

Mount Ominous is one of the largest and most recognizable peaks in the Beandom. Speaking its name correctly is frequently followed by thunder, darkened skies, or other theatrical weather. Incorrect pronunciations—Mount Omnibus, Mount Omnivore, and many less successful variations—usually produce nothing except irritation from nearby travelers.

A Dormant Volcano That Is Not Truly Asleep

The mountain is a dormant volcano, but its activity is magical rather than merely geological. A powerful fire elemental possesses the volcano and gives the mountain a kind of life. The spirit reacts to what enters the crater and can be provoked into violent eruption.

The Vegetarian Fire Elemental

Jackdaw discovers that the elemental is vegetarian. Beans may be thrown into the crater without awakening its full fury, but sufficiently “fleshy” offerings are rejected with explosive force. This peculiarity transforms a dangerous volcano into an extremely specific magical defense system.

Places Around the Peak

The mountain anchors several important locations. The Improbable Swamp lies near its base. The Circus Absurdus, home of the Moronic Ox and later a venue for the Battle of the Bards, stands at its foot. Roads, hidden approaches, caves, and meeting places around the slopes repeatedly draw heroes, villains, giants, ghosts, and travelers who have been given questionable directions by orcs.

The One Bean

The One Bean, also called the Treasure of Ages, eventually turns the contents of the crater into a vast reservoir of bubbling bean dip. The mountain therefore contains both a destructive elemental and a substance capable of spreading across the entire realm when the volcano erupts.

Plan V

Jackdaw prepares a contingency called Plan V—V for Volcano—in case the heroes ever need to dispose of an artifact, talisman, or enemy too dangerous to contain. During the final confrontation with the Netherking, the heroes use the fire elemental’s appetite and a future-made rocket to trigger the plan.

The Eruption and the Refrying

The eruption hurls molten bean dip across the Beandom. Mountains and Felgarath’s enormous tree remain above the glowing flood, while much of the old realm disappears beneath it. The catastrophe ends one age and creates the landscape later known as the Refried Beandom.

Mount Ominous in the Later Era

The peak remains important after the destruction. Sir Jacques has climbed it many times, and trails near the mountain conceal portals, fugitives, hidden movements, and powerful magic. In Death/Wish, a magical trail disappears halfway up its slopes, making the mountain once again the boundary between an ordinary investigation and a mystery capable of defeating advanced tracking magic.

Chronicler’s note: Mount Ominous is alive, temperamental, vegetarian, and sensitive about pronunciation. Visitors are advised to prepare accordingly.