I, too, wonder if large amounts of fire could kill, or at least temporarily disable, a Nazgūl. Didn't it say somewhere in
Fellowship that they are afraid of fire? (like when they were at Amon Sūl and Aragorn made a fire, saying that it would protect them from the Wraiths).
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The Nazgul are pretty myterious, but I think they would have a pretty good shot of cowing the Dragon, both with terror and on a spiritual/magical level.
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I agree! I've always thought the Nazgūl are fascinating. Their most deadly weapon is, undoubtedly, fear. And fear is very powerful. As it is said in F. Herbert's
Dune, "Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration." The Nazgūl were able to make people frightened beyond belief by calling out to eachother with their chilling, deadly voices. With a weapon, such as this, they did not need to fight with swords, cannons, etc, because when people are afraid they don't want to fight-- if their fear conquers them, then their ability to rationalize is eradicated, they want nothing but to cower down and hide, like they people of Minas Tirith did in The Battle of the Pelennor Fields.
However, since Balrogs are Maiar, I seriously doubt that the Nazgūl had the capacity or capability of terrifying the them beyond their wits. Balrogs are just inherently much more powerful. Even though they Nazgūl were posessed by Sauron, a very powerful Maia, they were only servants to him, as Sauron was to Morgoth...which means that their power was only a fraction of their master's. Also, remember what Gandalf said about the Ring at the beginning of
Fellowship, (can't remember the exact quote right now)- about how the ring cannot truly create-it gives power, but only according to the posessers' native strength and force of will. So don't forget that the Nazgūl are merely ruined men, posessed, but still just men. Even with their chief weapon being sheer, bone-chilling terror, They cannot possibly overcome a Maia.
As for Sauron vs. a Balrog--that would be interesting! I think that Sauron might win out...he was the most powerful of all Morgoth's servants, right? (Although I'm sure Sauron could take the form of a Balrog if he so desired to). For the Balrog in Moria...he probably did not know that it was there. Remember when Gandalf was telling the story of his fall in Moria, and how he ran through those dark passages...he mentioned that the experience was beyond words, and that there were many evil creatures dwelling at the roots of the earth..."even Sauron knows them not, for they were there before he." (something to the effect of that). Even if he knew the Balrog existed, he had no reason to rouse it, because it could serve as a guard of moria, just as Shelob guarded the pass of Cirith Ungol.
[ June 11, 2002: Message edited by: Jessica Jade ]