Balin, Moria and the King Under the Mountain

[lindil]

I never said that the Iron Hills were abandoned, just that Dain left them.

My point is this - it seems Balin, a senior [ but not The Sr.]member of the House of Durin got chumped by Dain, who decided to make Erebor his Kingdom, even though he would have been like Thorin "king" of Durin's folk wherever he was.

Balin trudged along with Thorin probably every day of his life since before leaving the Lonely Mntn, for 200+ years.

So after being in Erebor for what 60 years or so, decides to refound Moria, using his [ and Oin and Ori's if I recall correctly] rather substantial wealth to try and retake a second enemy held former Dwarf strongho;d.

Balin does not seem like a fiery crusader for the House of Durin in the Hobbit, he seems solid level headed and kind.

Hardly the one to, as a Dwarf senior citizen with the best available retirement package, go off and retake Moria.

To me the only logical explanation is that his life was incomplete. He felt he should have ruled something after Thorin.