: : I'm not saying that's what did happen, but the facts do stand for that case. The dwarves were mining mithril and following the vein when they awakened the Balrog.

: Hey, it's entirely possible. But if so, who did it? I don't know if the Valar were particularly inclined toward altering the landscape of Arda once the Elves arrived. And why imprison *one* Balrog, especially when it takes so much effort? The rest were all killed, or thrown out into the void with Morgoth.
: I'm fairly certain there's some sort of reference to the Balrog of Moria fleeing after the final battle of the First Age. Where's MM when you need him?

Yes you are quite right - there is a statement in the Silmarillion which says the after the War of Wrath the surviving Balrogs fled and hid themselves in the deep places of the world (or something similar). The Balrog was hiding, not imprisoned.

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