I'm definitely still here as long as everyone else is. The holidays were actually the most opportune time for me to get work done on the project, but whatever.
As far as Garg goes, being a local and extremely useful as long as he isn't fully aware of what the bigger picture is, he won't be showing up at the End of Time. He's currently either on the ferry to or settling in Porre (600 A.D.), and in addition to studying law, he's already planning his own side projects to get back at Toma. If there is still a particularly long time before he is found and manipulated by Gaspar's Heroes, I may write one of these occurring (and, of course, failing).
Also, anyone who cares, there was a reason other than motivation for introducing the two characters I did in my previous episodes. They will become apparent later.