A realization has occurred to me. If we were to go through a down ladder's hole from below on the top level, we'd end up in an area like the place that we fought Betweenford in. This isn't because it doesn't work in reverse, or moves us somewhere besides up; this is because there is no surface. All of our "memories" of the surface are simple fabrications. The Warrens function in cycles: As the target dies, the world is reset and another enters. This means that either there's a constant enough stream of people who know where the Warrens are, fit whatever criteria might be necessary for becoming the Target, and aren't deterred by the fact that the way down is a straight drop and nobody's ever come out, the entire world resets every time the Target dies, or that there's no surface to come from. We were just generated by the computers of the Warrens, and dumped into DL1 to become the new Target. All that exists above us is the possibly infinite expanse of the Warrens infrastructure.
If that's the case, then why fight Oric? For gold? The things we can buy with it only contribute to defeating him, and once he's out of the way, we'd have no use for it. Justice? We've never seen nor heard of him or most of his siblings (Cain notwithstanding, and we don't know how true that story is) commit an evil act. Dominion? If so, we'd have very little people to hold dominion over; just the shopkeepers that could probably fry us with a sideways glance, the inhabitants of Underside and any similar areas, and Oric and his siblings, which, once we claim dominion, would likely be dead. So what's left? We have no reason to hunt him. We have no reason to hate him. We have no reason to want him, or his siblings, dead or defeated. We have no evidence that there's even anything beyond them and the dungeon inhabitants.
Therefore, we only have one recourse: Ally with the "villain". Oric's just as much of a pawn as we are, hiding the King and making the opposite player think that it's the main threat. The only questions left are who's playing the sides. King of Haria and Lord of the Angels? !!!! and ???? ? Someone else entirely? Regardless, we need to side with Oric to find the King. He seems much too prideful to simply take orders knowingly, and as such, likely is as clueless as us. If we bring this knowledge to him, he might side with us. Once we can do that, we'll be able to locate and destroy whoever is pulling the strings. Whoever the King might be, if Oric's the pawn, I've got the feeling that Spira is the Queen, or at least the Knight.