The Hobbit : An Unexpected Journey The Hobbit : An Unexpected Journey is a theme that was introduced on November 27 , 2012 . Story . Many years before The Hobbit , the great Dwarven kingdom of the Lonely Mountain , Erebor , ruled by King Thrór , is overtaken with all its treasure by the evil dragon Smaug , and the dwarves of the mountain are robbed of their homeland . 60 years later , a peaceful hobbit of the Shire , Bilbo Baggins is visited by the great wizard Gandalf and a company of thirteen dwarves - Balin , Dwalin , Óin , Glóin , Bifur , Bofur , Bombur , Kíli , Fíli , Ori , Nori , Dori , and Thorin Oakenshield , grandson of Thror and heir to the throne of the mountain . They have a plot to retake Erebor from Smaug , and want to hire Bilbo as their burglar ( as Gandalf states that hobbits are light on their feet and have chance to be unnoticed by the dragon ) . Though first feeling uneasy , Bilbo reluctantly agrees , and the company starts it ' s journey from Bilbo ' s hobbit - hole , Bag End . As they travel through the Shire , Balin tells Bilbo the story of Thorin , where he , Thorin , and Dwalin fought Azog at the Battle of Azanulbizar , where Thrór , Thorin ' s grandfather , was slain by Azog , the pale Orc , whom Thorin duelled and defeated , severing his hand and bringing victory to the dwarf people , reconquering Moria . However , many of the dwarves had died during the battle , and with Thorin ' s father missing , Thorin became the new King of the Dwarves under the Mountain . One night the company encounters three hungry trolls , Tom , Bert and William , who capture Bilbo and the dwarves ( Gandalf dissapears that night ) , and try to eat them . However , Bilbo manages to play for time long enough for Gandalf to arrive at dawn , when the sun shines on the trolls , turning them to stone . Once free , the company finds the trolls ' cave , where they get swords - Thorin claims Orcrist , the Goblin - cleaver , Gandalf finds Glamdring , the Foe - hammer , and Bilbo gets Sting , a small elvish sword , which glows blue if orcs or goblins are near . Bilbo and the dwarves then meet Radagast the Brown , a queer wizard living in Mirkwood - he gives Gandalf a Morgul - blade , which he believes belongs to the Witch - King of Angmar , and he found in the old fortress , Dol Guldur . He also tells Gandalf that he thinks the Dark Lord Sauron is emerging again . Fleeing orc - riders led by Yazneg and Fimbul , who they escape with the help of Radagast , the company eventually reaches the hidden valley of Imladris , also known as Rivendell , the Last Homely House east of the Sea . There , they achieve a warm welcome from Elrond , the wise elven lord of Rivendell . They are given food ( which they do not enjoy ) and shelter , and Elrond also helps them by discovering a riddle on their old map of Erebor , which reveals the location of the hidden door that leads into the mountain . As Bilbo and the dwarves unexpectedly leave Rivendell and start their long and dangerous journey through the Misty Mountains , Gandalf shows the White Council , a council of elven rulers and wizards , the Morgul blade and Radagasts ' suspicion that Sauron is regaining power , but Saruman , leader of the council , ignores his statements . Meanwhile , it is revealed that Azog , a brutal orc enemy of Thorin , who was thought to be dead , was the one who sent the orcs to kill them . He kills Yazneg for his mistake and places a bounty on Thorin ' s head . Meanwhile , Bilbo and the dwarves , fleeing from aggressive stone - giants , are captured by evil goblins of Goblin Town in the mountains . Bilbo accidentally falls into a hole while fighting with a goblin , but the dwarves are brought before the Great Goblin , the tyrannical ruler of Goblin Town . He first attempts to give the company to Azog and his minions for the bounty , but when seeing Thorin ' s sword , the Goblin - cleaver , he is drove into such a rage , that he orders the execution of the dwarves . However , Gandalf arrives in the nick of time , frees the dwarves and they all escape Goblin Town after a cat - and - mouse chase , with Gandalf killing the Great Goblin . Meanwhile , Bilbo finds himself on the shore of an underground lake , and finds a golden ring , not knowing that it is actually the great One Ring itself . He then encounters a strange , slimy creature called Gollum . Gollum wants to eat Bilbo , while Bilbo wants Gollum to help him find his way out . So the two start a riddle game - if Gollum wins , he eats Bilbo , but if the hobbit wins , he shows him the way out . As Bilbo is about to ask his final riddle , he suddenly doesn ' t remember any . He puts his hand in his pocket , and , finding the ring , asks himself - " What have I got in my pocket ? " . Gollum thinks it is a riddle and cannot answer - he thus loses the game . However , Gollum then discovers that he has lost his precious - the ring Bilbo had found . Realizing that Bilbo took it , he attacks the poor hobbit , who accidentally puts on the Ring , and finds that it makes him invisible . Following an outraged Gollum to the gate of the mountain , he jumps over the wretched creature ( not killing him out of pity ) , and escapes the mountain . Soon he is reunited with Gandalf and the dwarves , who have escaped from the mountain as well . However , just when becoming relieved of passing over the Misty Mountains , the company is attacked by Azog and his orc soldiers , riding on wargs , evil wolf - like beasts . They climb on trees to save themselves , throwing flaming pine - cones at the wargs . As the trees collapse under the weight of the dwarves , Thorin duels Azog to save the company . He is defeated but saved by Bilbo . With the wargs about to kill them , the great eagles arrive and save the company from the evil orcs , carrying them away to safety . They are put down on a huge rock , the Carrock , at the edge of their next peril - Mirkwood