Origins of Purple Quiddity?

[hroþila]

In my opinion, the ol' phylactery switcheroo wasn't about Redcloak planning to off Xykon, it was about appeasing his own conscience. Now, whenever the question of what he's been doing to contain Xykon's threat to goblinoids everywhere pops up, Redcloak can fool himself by saying "I stole his phylactery so that I can destroy him for good at the right time", even though he's absolutely not working towards that goal and never has. Quite the contrary, actually.

The most charitable reading IMO would be that Redcloak did it because he knows himself and knows he can't trust himself to do the right thing and destroy Xykon when the opportunity arises, so he gave himself a push (if Xykon's body is destroyed, the rabbit is out of the hat and Redcloak has to destroy the phylactery no matter how much he dislikes the idea).

Most likely, though, it was just to give himself a fake sense of control, even if it's a kind of control he can't exercise at all.