A strange dream

For some reason I was in the depths of Moria, and needed to climb the Endless Stair to get out. I think I was ostensibly fleeing from someone (not a balrog) but never actually saw him. Fortunately there was an elevator, so I made it to the peak of Zirak-Zigil quite quickly. I stepped out into the sunlight and found that the peak was much lower elevation than I expected; in fact, there were large tidepools and an ocean rather nearby. The water was crowded with slimy dead fish that had no scales. I briefly thought it unusual that Moria could be below sea level and yet not flooded.

At some point my viewpoint transitioned, as it often does in dreams, and I was in some sort of military organization traveling around (perhaps in Oregon or Washington?) and attempting to reclaim territory that had been conquered by Russia (presumably in the same catastrophe that killed all the fish). We launched an assault on an enemy compound, then we were negotiating with their leader, then I was in an antique store. There were many of the aforementioned dead fish on display in glass cases, and also an old Disney children's educational book about Donald Duck exploring Heaven and meeting God.