August 16, 2002

Thoughts on Moria
Danny

Remember when Gimli tells of Sauron's message asking about the halfling and the mere trifle of a ring that Sauron fancies? Well Sauron promised the dwarves he would return Moria to them if he were aided by them. Remember how the watcher at the gate grabbed Frodo first? It was important enough that Tolkien mentions how, I think it was Gandalf didn't mention his suspicions about it to anyone else.

Now you can interpet Sauron's promise of yielding Moria to the Dwarves as mere empty deceit and having no implication that Sauron's servants controlled Moria, or you can see it as Sauron gloating over the fact that he holds Moria from the Dwarves. I doubt either way that he would have truely given Moria to them, but my point and question is this. Does anyone else think that the watcher at the gate of Moria was placed there by Sauron to watch that path? Tolkien implied that the moria orcs were a different breed from the Mordor orcs, but they could also be under Sauron's dominion if indirectly. A greater stretch, and one that I am not prepared to support or debate, just ponder, is that even the Balrog is a servant of Sauron's will.

Gandalf stated on Caradhras(sp?) that Sauron's arm has grown long, clearly implying that Gandalf thought the storms on the slopes of Caradhras were due to Sauron. His influence reached that far, and it seems safe to say that he was watching all ways. The Balrogs would have recognized Sauron as heir apparent to Morgoth so it could even be speculated that the Balrog is in some way subservient to Sauron's will. Just some thoughts.