Varouj, The Underduke, was somewhat skeptical of becoming the party’s ally in this venture. He is a friend to the party, yes, but to be an ally requires some purpose. The party stated the goals of their alliance as ending factionalism as a precursor to escaping mars. This is something the Underduke could get behind.
He argued that ending factionalism would either require overwhelming force, or an address of the material conditions that led to factionalism. Namely, the fact that there’s not enough space in the Dome. Something he’s trying to work on by establishing territory in the sewers, but there are limits.
His territory is stopped from expanding any further by three barriers: one, an area of intense and unihabitable cold. Another, a spell which causes people to turn around without realizing it. Lastly were the breeding grounds of a kind of large insect that builds towers out of bones. If the party could help them bypass any of these barriers, they could continue expanding and create more space for people to live.
The party decided to tackle the magical turn around. They carefully figured out where it was, then set about experimenting until they realized they could bypass it by putting on a burst of speed just as they hit the turn around threshhold.
Withing they met a man who perhaps useed to be a wizard named Mentulla. He’s a disgusting person living in his own filth, and through talking with him the party uncovered that he seemed to have experienced some horrible abuses, possibly sexual, which led him into this seclusion where he uses filth to keep people away from him.
The party convinced him to dismantle his spells, and the Underduke agreed to give him a place to stay, and reliable people to try and rehabilitate him into society.