Originally Posted by
Nik Hasta
I hadn't considered the thematic parallels with Vaarsuvius until you pointed them out, that is an interesting point.
The key difference is that Vaarsuvius was motivated by ego, they could have taken the ignoble and safer option to save their family and their sacrifice would have been noble and everyone would have been saved but that wasn't consistent with their pursuit of ultimate power or how they think about problem solving. Vaarsuvius hated to feel like they weren't in control and the only other viable option presented to them required them surrender that control so they were always going to take the demonic pact.
Meanwhile Redcloak... well, Redcloak's mental state is much trickier to figure out. While Vaarsuvius was primarily led by egotism, Redcloak has been consistently treated like garbage, belittled, mocked and dismissed by both Xykon and even his own god as well as bunch of others. He is a person who is trying to make himself significant and help his community on a divine level but is constantly being reminded that he's not worthy, that he's not good enough, that his position is only secure as long as Xykon says it is or as long as his god thinks he can deliver on his promises. He's fluent in deception because that's how he controls his primary ally and he tends to assume that others are either working a similar angle or are being worked.
Durkon is perhaps the first person to approach him in good faith and treat him like someone worthy of respect in the whole series. The other Goblins look up to Redcloak but there's an element of self-loathing in there. Redcloak doesn't care about their approval, he wants the rest of the world to respect him and them. There's a kind of internalised prejudice against his own race because, while he's a leader of their community and has done more for them than anyone in history, he still doesn't feel like he has value until the gods themselves are brought low before him.
There's stubbornness to it but Redcloak is kind of a case study of how systemic racism, in the case of D&D literally a game system, can mess a person up. He has the chance to more solidly protect his people from influence both terrestrial and divine and a chance to help save the world and he can't accept it.
It's really good writing.