: : Padster

: That would be the logician's minimalist interpretation, yes. :)

: But we know for a fact that Morgoth put something of his own essence into the fabric of the mountains. (I suspect it was more than coincidence that the mountain with the (most?) evil reputation is host both to the Balrog and to the world's only vein of the fabulous mithril.)

: We also know that magic was real in Middle-earth, and we know that there are mighty magical goings on right through the story of LotR, of which the hobbits (and therefore the reader) don't get more than a tantalising hint.

: I will unashamedly admit that I address the magic of Middle-earth from a what-if perspective, looking for possible internally consistent and in-character magical rationales for these hints, in the full knowledge that they will never be canon.

: I introduced the idea of a mostly-dormant spirit; I have developed it further, purely for my own amusement. I also like the idea that the Balrog's evil somehow suffused into the rock of the mountain. This has been a really good discussion!

: Cheers,
: Osric P-)

I thought that that "R" was in there. I tend to agree with you now, I think it was just some "grumpy" Maia that did not want to be disturbed. I think if it was totally evil, it would not have subsided when the Company decided to leave. But it could be some stray Maia of Morgoth who has grown less evil over time.