I backed all the PDFs during the crowd funding. I have many regrets. I should have just saved up the money to buy them paper back. These are more cumbersome to read on a screen than I was expecting... Oh well. It'll be worth the strain to get a much better glimpse of the world than CB's books ever gave us. Just an idle curiosity thing for those that have read ahead: Is there any potential shown for an uprising like schism between Haqq and the Khans like people were speculating? I feel like the YJ/JSA split is the only time something like this will happen but who knows what they have in store...
The thing to remember is that while I don't see the same level of tension as the Chinese/Japanese thing, there doesn't have to be. They can just write it.
That's a fair comment. I still like to think there's a gulf of difference between CB and GW. Anything super drastic like Uprising will likely have significant foreshadowing and embedded fluff reasons. We won't find out after a release that 'all the Tomb Kings/Rats died lul' or the Infinity version of that. I say that while fully acknowledging the exit of the MRRF was a bit of a let down.
I believe it wasn't a definitive exit. Sure, they suffered catastrophic casaulties, but I seriously doubt Groupe de Hell was the entire strength of MRRF. More like a good portion of it, most of what they have could spared for an operation outside of Merovingia (call it expeditionary forces if you will). They still have, likely, kept adequately big (though not likely first-tier) garrison force in Merovingina territory proper, and then there are Merovingian troops dispatched to Paradiso and likely a few other places. So, what was left of MRRF is likely now being withdrawn back home, and the force is to be rebuildt - with new recruits, new equipment and, likely, a new or at least improved doctrine. It ain't gonna be quick, but we'll see Merovingians back in the field, I say.
I don't see the Khanate being anywhere near the same level of tension as YJ/JSA. The Hachib for the most part just lets the Khanate be the Khanate. They are not bothering many folks as they mostly stick to their territory, and do provide a service ot the Haqqislam military. No group in Haqqislam is particularly ostracized. The government does a pretty good job of keeping control, by giving lack of control and freedom to the provinces.
Yup, Haqq way seems to be "if it has to be that way, it shall be that way by my will" (that's a Dune reference again...). We can't hope to get rid of corruption? Let's then keep it within limits and make it work for our advantage (that's how Funduq Sultanate operates... and a good portion of their Qapu Khalqi).
