One Ring

A small gold ring lying on a tunnel floor under the Misty Mountains changes hands. Bilbo Baggins pockets it during his adventure and discovers its obvious power: worn on the finger, it makes its wearer invisible. For years afterward it passes as a curious souvenir, useful for dodging unwelcome relatives. Years later, the question of what the trinket really is arises. Gandalf's long research gives the answer: this is the One Ring, forged in secret by the Dark Lord Sauron to master the Rings of Power, taken from his hand by Isildur when he was overthrown an age ago. Sauron has arisen again in Mordor, and all that he lacks is bound up in this one small circle of gold. His servants are already searching for it, and it cannot stay hidden in the Shire.