16. Bilbo Baggins did something very unusual for a hobbit: he went on an adventure. At an underground lake, what did he stumble across, that let him escape certain death -- and prolonged his life unnaturally as well?
From Quiz Why Won't You Die?
Answer:
ring
Like all other hobbits, Bilbo Baggins preferred a quiet and unexciting life, and lived that way until the wizard Gandalf requested his presence on a quest wherein thirteen dwarves sought to retake their historical homeland from the dragon, Smaug. At one point, Bilbo stumbled into a deep, underground lake, and only made it out alive because of ring he found that made its wearer invisible.
The ring was originally just a plot device to help Bilbo out of a bind, but in the "Lord of the Rings" sequels, it turned out to be the One Ring, a powerful ring forged by the dark lord Sauron to control and bind the lands of Middle Earth. It slowly corrupted and unnaturally extended the life of its wearers, including Bilbo, until he was rid of its influence. Nonetheless, he lived to the age of 131, becoming the longest-lived hobbit of all time.