<Li> The Return of the King </Li> <P> Smaug (/ smaʊɡ /) is a fictional character and the primary antagonist in J.R.R. Tolkien's 1937 novel The Hobbit . He is a powerful, fearsome dragon who invaded the Dwarf kingdom of Erebor 150 years prior to the events described in the novel . A group of 13 Dwarves mounted a quest to take the kingdom back, aided by the wizard Gandalf and the hobbit Bilbo Baggins . Smaug is described as "a most specially greedy, strong and wicked worm". </P> <P> In Appendix A, section III, of The Return of the King, dragons are stated to reside in the Withered Heath beyond the Grey Mountains . Smaug is described as "the greatest of the dragons of his day", and was already centuries old at the time he was first recorded . Having heard rumors of the great wealth of the Dwarf - kingdom of Erebor, he "arose and without warning came against King Thrór and descended on the mountain in flames". After driving the Dwarves out of their stronghold, Smaug occupied the interior of the mountain for the next 150 years, guarding a vast hoard of treasure . </P> <P> "The Quest of Erebor", a chapter of Unfinished Tales, recounts how Gandalf realized that Smaug could pose a serious threat if used by Sauron . He therefore agreed to assist a party of Dwarves, led by Thrór's grandson Thorin Oakenshield, who set out to recapture the mountain and kill the dragon . Assuming that Smaug would not recognize the scent of a hobbit, Gandalf also recruits Bilbo Baggins to join the quest, which is the subject of The Hobbit . </P>

Where do they go to keep an eye out for smaug