The Death of V

[Tzardok]

While he did not spell out that he was deliberately trying to aggravate Belkar in that scene, I'm blinking at the idea that he wasn't.

And I am befuddled by the idea that he would deliberately aggravate someone whom he's hoping can be prevented from killing him.
He was annoying, yes, but he's always annoying to mammals. Him deliberately goading Belkar into killing him doesn't fit with his last words.

The question isn't if he tried to anger Belkar, he *did* anger Belkar and knew what the outcome of telling him would be.

Just like he knows the outcome of when he'll talk with that Druid he mentioned to the Lizardfolk duo.

He and Belkar also have an history of antagonizing each other, so it's not like he was trying to sooth the murderer.

Of course he knew what would happen. But he hoped that he could prevent it. "Maybe this time I'm wrong." That's how hope works.
If he didn't have hope, he wouldn't have wasted time with these explanations. He'd have said: "Of course your prophecy hasn't come true yet, you numbskull! Now kill me, if you think you've got the balls!" And he'd certainly haven't said last words that boil down to "Dang, I failed."
And that's why you try to "soothe" the murderer: because maybe he won't kill you.