Change of heart (SoD SPOILERS! plus speculation)

[Charity322]

Up until I read Start of Darkness I was pretty happy for the good guys to eventually kill the bad guys and live happily ever after hehe.

But since seeing all his backstory in SoD I really want Redcloak to get some of the stuff he was aiming for. Obviously not the unleashing the snarl on the world part hehe, but his dreams for a better life for the goblin race.

Xykon just showed his worse side in SoD so yeah he needs to be destroyed, but I kind of hope Redcloak survives. Maybe his niece who got smuggled away to live with humans behind Xykon's back could come back and show him the error of his ways finally giving him the guts to kill Xykon. But then there's the problem that MitD has been enspelled to eat him if he ever betrays Xykon.

Maybe he'll kill Xykon then get eaten but the MitD was told to spit out the phylactery so he will and someone else will smash it. But then if Redcloak offs Xykon then it sort of takes the story away from the OotS and the heroes aren't the ones that save the world hehe.

What do others think?

[Green Bean]

I felt bad for Redcloak all throughout the book, but I still don't think he'll turn. To me, he's kind of like Miko; both characters have a goal (betterment of goblin race/protection of the gate from evil) that lead them to ultimately do terrible things, until ultimately they're grasping at straws in an attempt to justify what they have done. Neither of them will admit that they are wrong. Redcloak is an amazingly written tragic character, and it would tarnish that to have him just decide to switch sides.

[Charity322]

Hmm hardly anyone has an opinion on this one? Or they just haven't read SoD yet hehe.

[Elderac]

Like Gollum in LOTR, I feel that Redcloak still has some role to play in this (no pun intended). I felt he was a strong character before and SOD really helped me understand the tragedy that is his life.

I think he will have a tragic ending but that his end will bring some fulfillment to his life.

[ChopSticks28]

There's a chance that the paladins and the goblins will come to an understanding - the paladins would stop killing goblins for no reason and the goblins would stop trying to control the Snarl. Maybe together they can defeat Xykon.

[Lissou]

Yeah, I came to see the story in a different way, too. Both sides just kill each other with no reason. The "good" aligned still spend half them time killing creatures in random encounters, creatures who didn't necessarily attack them.
I've started to see it more as a war where ne is no good side and bad side (although Xykon is definitely a vilain) and although I don't think Redcloak can get a happy ending, I hope he can fulfil at least part of his goal.
I don't see him killing Xykon directly, but I guess if we go your way, he could help. Especially if the sake of Goblinhood is at stake.