Hidden observer units are on every single solo map. Bungie used Warriors when you needed to have a Farsighted view from a spot, and Dwarf Observers when they only wanted to give you a Nearsighted view. (I am speaking in "TagEdit" terminology, or Fear terms if you know Myth II better).
They are not under the mesh as the article writer speculates, but rather marked as invisible in their tags and in the scripting. They were never meant to be used or seen, except by mapmakers and tinkerers like the writer.
Balor was probably put there by the article writer to show you a range of unit sizes, to emphasize how small the warrior observers are. Obviously, Balor was not actually present on that map in the TFL plot, and even if he was hidden in the mesh tags for some arcane reason (and I would have to open TFL Loathing to confirm this) it wouldn't mean he was actually present in the game there.
The article writer could have just as easily placed a trow there and called him a "friend".
: In the fieldguide chapter for shadow of the mountain, we
: see a picture of the invisible, tiny units that allow
: us to see everything on the hill. Standing behind them
: is a small group of archers, and a man in a thick suit
: of armour with a horned helmet and a strange chopping
: sword ... is it ... who it seems to be?
: Firstly, where is Balor located on the map, and will he
: attack you if you get too close? Secondly, can you
: kill him in the level, and bring the war to an early
: end (despite dooming the world to another 1000 year
: cycle)? Thirdly, what is he doing over the mountain in
: the first place, canonically speaking?
: Any info you can supply would be greatly appreciated.
