Balrog and the One ring

[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!)