Balrog and the One ring

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

What would you define "use" the Ring? If by "use" you meant "generally use", as in, wear from time to time, then the answer is obviously yes even by just what you say: the Balrog could, say, use it to make himself invisible, hide from all Dwarves and Wizards and Orcs and just remain at peace - just like Gollum did; maybe from time to time use it to ambush and/or wipe with the Ring's power the intruders - just like Gollum did (I am referring to him strangling Orcs in the dark, but he was doing it for food, so Balrog might do that just to get rid of annoying people, for example).

But even if we meant "use" as (what I believe you had in mind) "use to become the new Dark Lord", then, I mean, sure. I would say "definite yes" even to that. Faced with that temptation - how many people, Maiar, etc, were able to resist the lure of the Ring, especially in case they put it on their finger at least once? Quite. Gandalf's warning about the Ring offering more power to the hands of the powerful ones is also definitely valid here. Therefore, I think I can very well imagine what the Ring would say to The Balrog, something along these lines:

"You can become greater than anybody... wipe out all the annoying Dwarves who woke you up... take control of all the Orcs... they can make you a King Under Your Own Mountain when they are at it... nobody will be able to contest you anyway... why don't you pay back to the Elves for destroying your original home in Utumno and Angband when you are at it... yes, all of them, they are all responsible, or their children, or kinsmen, anyway, you know that, they are all of the same kind, who cares... oh, and yes, definitely you should show Sauron. Remember how he always looked down at you, bossing you around, even though you are definitely as strong, no, stronger than him? It should have been you to be Melkor's right hand, not him. You would have done better, with you in his place, you would have won against the Valar! Let's pay him back for destroying your life! ..."

It is really easy to imagine the reasons. I would say, it is obvious that the Balrog would use The One Ring. And remember, the evil guys always want to use the One Ring, on top of everything.

I highly doubt that the Balrog wants/needs the Ring to do the first thing that you mention. It has enough power by itself to scare away almost everyone that bothers him - with the sole exception that cost it its life. I think that the second posibility is very probably, though. If the Balrog got hold of the Ring, he would use it without necessarily knowing what he is using. Like Bilbo and Gollum - they didn't know that a good part of Sauron's power was hidden in it, but they were given power proportionate to their stature. The Balrog could even possibly defeat Sauron for real with the Ring, if it didn't betray him.


As for the orcs - I think they were afraid to death of the Balrog, but that is what made them more obedient, imo.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

I highly doubt that the Balrog wants/needs the Ring to do the first thing that you mention. It has enough power by itself to scare away almost everyone that bothers him - with the sole exception that cost it its life.

The first thing was of course more like an illustrative example. I meant "something like that" - the Balrog could use the Ring for some "simple tasks" of his "daily life". To use a parable, even though you could perfectly well just walk to your workplace, if you own a car, why not use it and drive there, right?

As for the orcs - I think they were afraid to death of the Balrog, but that is what made them more obedient, imo.

This is what I totally agree with and I wanted to say it already in the beginning when I first saw this conversation. I don't think they necessarily were subject to the Balrog, but if it happened, it would be like "aaaa, help, that scary fire-demon told me that we should attack the wizard! Let's do it or he will fry us alive!" or something like that. To be honest though, I think the Orcs acted on their own accord in Moria.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

The first thing was of course more like an illustrative example. I meant "something like that" - the Balrog could use the Ring for some "simple tasks" of his "daily life". To use a parable, even though you could perfectly well just walk to your workplace, if you own a car, why not use it and drive there, right?

Ah, I get you now.

Originally Posted by Legate

This is what I totally agree with and I wanted to say it already in the beginning when I first saw this conversation. I don't think they necessarily were subject to the Balrog, but if it happened, it would be like "aaaa, help, that scary fire-demon told me that we should attack the wizard! Let's do it or he will fry us alive!" or something like that. To be honest though, I think the Orcs acted on their own accord in Moria.

Possibly something similar to the orcs of Cirith Ungol - though they were also under the power of Sauron and the nazgul. But for the most part they were on their own (as in without special supervision from "above"), trying to avoid having tea with Her Ladyship. They had some solutions - they built secret passages, and even left their comrades to go for supper just to please her and/or save their own orcish hide. So are the Moria orcs - for the most part living on their own, trying to not bother that big fiery monster, but doing his bidding whenever he says to avoid, as you said, being roasted alive. (Though I think the mere power that his will projects is enough to make any orc tremble - come on, they were afraid of a hobbit with a Ring!)