for people who don't play rpgs
So when you sit down to play dnd, no matter how rp heavy, at the end of the day its still a wargame.
One of the classic GM moves is the betrayal plot:
Step 1: set up final opponent as a pet/friendly pc/sidekick/parent figure/love interest/get them adopted by the party
Step 2: get players attached and lull them into a false sense of security
Step 3: if your players are naive enough, they will buff the poor helpless character with magic items, if not, use them to gather intel and plant traps
Step 4: turn on them when they are at their most vulnerable
This move is so classic, so well known I don't think an experienced player would fall for it. When they were saying 'it will hurt when we will have to kill him', this is what they meant.
Because how well known this trick is, I don't think Matt would go for it, a redemption arch would be more creative. I'm kinda expecting a second plot twist, or using the classic move as a decoy, Essek being a red herring etc. I can also see him being mind controlled or manipulated into buffing the real enemy (probably Trent).
I dunno. Maybe the BBE is Kiri, turning out to be a powerful necromancer or something 😂