I think the game does a surprisingly good job with this. It slowly reveals that you have more time than you initially thought, which allows your character to relax and get more comfortable with the time passing.
And the question of course becomes, how to take care of the tadpole? As the options are explored, it becomes evident that action has to be taken to get closer to answers. Taking sides, in other words, can still be neutral, can still be an act of self-preservation. If you want Halsin because he's a great healer, for instance, you have to save him from the goblin camp. This naturally puts you at odds with the goblins, not necessarily because you're being good as because you need the healer.
As for joining with the goblins, this makes sense if you decide you want to get closer to what may be the source of the tadpoles at Moonrise Towers by infiltrating them. Sure, all paths lead there, but I can see the characters deciding to ally with Minthara thinking they'll get more information or somehow get to their destination easier. I'd argue that killing the tieflings is still an act of evil, but the purpose behind it would be taking care of the tadpole, not just wholesale slaughter.
