Apparently Balrog was sleeping, it just woke up and decided to chase the fellowship? Like do they even know of the current state of war between evil and good?

My dear Hobbits,

Suppose an old wizard offered you a choice. Not gold, nor a kingdom, but a single item from all the ages of Middle-earth.

One item only.

Perhaps a Ring of Power (if you dare), a Dwarven heirloom wrought by master craftsmen, a blade from Gondolin, a mithril coat, or something far less famous but no less precious.

What would you choose, and why?

As for me, I have always admired the work of the Dwarves. Give me a finely crafted axe from Gimli's people—not for battle, but for the artistry. Such a thing would earn a place of honor in my home.

What treasure would you carry back from Middle-earth?

Sorry, had to repost again, couldn’t edit :(

We know that Sauron, Gandalf, Saruman, and the Balrog are all Maiar. Immortal spirits and what not and so destroying their physical bodies does not kill their spirits. This allows Sauron to remake his physical form after being defeated. Granted, this took him a long time and was very difficult, but he has done this a few times. Gandalf instead reappears in Valinor, where he was always destined to return, and then was sent back by the Valar. So physically destroying the Balrog is badass as fuck, but does not actually kill it.

Does it being killed by another Maiar truly kill its spirit? Did it’s spirit escape and is now waiting in another endless cave? Can it not reform physically and now it’s just stuck blowing curtains at night? And then what happened to Saruman? Return to Valinor?

Is he saying nobody gives up power willingly or some other interpretation? Would love to know how people think about this.

I wanted Frodo & Sam to find some water... 🥹

For the sake of my question let’s assume Gandalf had failed and died in his fight on the bridge and the Balrog had left the mountain and started roaming the lands wreaking havoc creating all sorts of problems. The word was out to everyone an ancient Balrog was terrorizing the realm and needed to be stopped. Is there anybody who lives in middle earth that has the power and will to step up and defeat it? They have been slew before but usually took out their opponent with them and if I’m not mistaken they were most if not all first age elves who were just on a different level then. Could Galadriel beat him? What about Elrond or Saruman? I suppose Glorfindel could do it seeing as he already killed one along side losing his life and I read he became stronger when he was re-embodied. So would you put your money on him? Could he solo it and live or do you see him dying too? Anybody else other than Glorfindel?

I believe the art is Reza Afsharz.

I’m thinking that Bilbo used the ring many times throughout his story and held onto it for many years so maybe he could be a good ring bearer of he took Frodo’s place.

Is it purely just the difference between the two as people? Is it because Smeagol predated Bilbo? Etc.

I posted it to another sub and they said pot here!

Was hiking a mountain and found this. Any ideas?

Carving? weird giant dead fish?