Wild speculation about "The Plan"

[Moogleking]

So, we know the plan requires a mighty Arcance and Divine caster to work. But isn't Tsukiko BOTH of those? Could she be the one who ends up controlling the Snarl (or, rather, controlling where new rifts appear, as per what the Dark One says)

[Salty]

That is a pretty popular theory. She's like a "wild card"; if Redcloak turns on Xykon, she can help the winner enact the plan, regardless of who it is.

[Ancalagon]

That is a pretty popular theory. She's like a "wild card"; if Redcloak turns on Xykon, she can help the winner enact the plan, regardless of who it is.

Well, just that a "winning Xykon" would have no clue about the needed rituals...

[Pronounceable]

Tsukiko seems to be completely devoted to Xykon. I doubt she'd help Red betray Xykon, but she'd certainly love to be Xykon's partner in crime and replace Red.

Which is a fact I'm certain a high wisdom guy like Red already understands. Add in his intense dislike of humans, he might someday decide to off Tsukiko just to be on the safer side.

[Kornaki]

So we have a perfect triangle:
Nobody can off Redcloak since he's the only one with the plan
Nobody can off Xykon since he's way too fricking powerful
Nobody can off Tsukiko since she's the one they're going to use once they figure out how to off the other person

[Morquard]

Well, just that a "winning Xykon" would have no clue about the needed rituals...

Says who?
Redcloak may be the only one that knows about the rituals for "the Plan", but Xykon doesn't give a damn about "the Plan", at least if he knows/knew what it is really about, sicne its not what he wants
He's pretty smart, and had 30 years or so since the first gate, he might have found out how to do the rituals so it serves his purpose, and just keeps Redcloak around because its convenient, or for fun or whatever.

Or he might be confident enough that he CAN figure it out himself if the need arises, that would be enough for him to off RC if he pisses him off too much, but keep him around otherwise.
His comment about giving the cloak to someone else, kind of indicates that he views RC as somewhat expendable, and exchangeable.

On the other hand, "the Plan" was deviced by a god in the first place and only relayed to RC, so maybe Xykon wouldn't stand a chance to do it on his own. (but as long as he THINKS he can do it, that point is moot)

Also conserning Tsukiko... I'm not sure she'd help Redcloak if he would kill Xykon, she'd perhaps try to kill him instead.

[David Argall]

I'd think we'd deem this a perfect-imperfect triangle. Each of the three is wondering if the other two are both necessary, and just might decide one is excess. [We don't Know that the Redcloak will only work for goblins, and Tsukiko or Xykon might decide Tsukiko can use it. Redcloak would be happy enough to eliminate Tsukiko if Xykon would let him, but if Xykon were to find out what Redcloak really plans, eliminating Xykon and partnering with Tsukiko may be the only way to survive.]

[Salty]

Well, just that a "winning Xykon" would have no clue about the needed rituals...

Xykon could just give the Crimson Mantle to Jirix, and he would have someone perfectly capable of teaching him the rituals, if the need arose.

[the_tick_rules]

Maybe that's what Xykon and Redcloak both see in her, a potential replacement if their counterpart becomes unmanageable.

[Morthis]

Xykon could just give the Crimson Mantle to Jirix, and he would have someone perfectly capable of teaching him the rituals, if the need arose.

I'll SoD spoiler tag this anyway, even I don't introduce much new from SoD not already mentioned here.

Redcloak has made is fairly obvious before that his priority is not living or dying, but completing the plan. When Right-Eye asked what would happen if the Snarl was released, Redcloak pretty much just said that it's an acceptable outcome because the Dark One would be involved in the creation of the world right from the start.

If Jirix wears the cloak, he would simply fulfill the plan instead of Redcloak, which would be acceptable. If Jirix experiences the same thing RC did, and becomes as obsessed with the plan (perhaps it's an effect of the cloak), then nothing really changed in the grand scheme of things. A less powerful goblin takes over trying to do the same thing RC is.

Regarding Tsukiko using the cloak, well it's not sure whether that would even work, and odds are the Dark One would not actually give her the knowledge on how to perform the rituals if he believes her intent is to twist them for her own (or X's) purpose.