Quote Originally Posted by appending_doom View Post
Destroying a phylactery doesn't destroy a lich, it only makes him mortal again. It actually takes Xykon's plan, which was undertaken out of boredom, and gives him a more desperate, legitimate reason for pursuing it to the end.

It will take Xykon's half-hearted villainy and likely turn it up to 11, just because Xykon no longer has the "ace in the hole" of guaranteed resurrection, and so cannot afford to toy with his enemies...

And, of course, none of this takes into account the fact that
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The Plan is really Redcloak's and the Dark One's, and may survive Xykon's destruction, especially now that Redcloak is beginning to see some hope for goblin society becoming a reality.
Rifting the phylactery neatly solves the problem that this story arc simply canNOT end with Xykon's destruction, yet SOMETHING has to happen to change the dynamics between the Heroes and the Big Bad (...otherwise, you don't have plot ... and OOTS knows plot!) Making Xykon suddenly vulnerable to the Real Death is especially significant after his explaining-motivation speech in the last 2 panels of 652.

To take your analysis one step farther, Redcloak ...
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...has good reason to think Xykon won't go along with Redcloak's Ultimate Plan. Therefore, will the Order help Redcloak backstab Xykon at the key point?

This would be an easier sell if the Order were somehow to appreciate the fundamental justice of Redcloak's plan to set up a goblin society, free from being mere XPs for humanoids. Establishing that growing realization would be a huge plot meta-arc. So far, O-Chul is the only member of the order to reach across racial lines (with MiTD).


At any rate, unless the Giant has decided to call it quits by next Friday, Operation Rift Toss can be only a partial success ... still massively heroic of course.