Well, I wouldn't say that they were GW's supporter, Crimson, but rather that they saw which way the wind was blowing, and they positioned themselves to profit accordingly. But remember, Ghostwalker had been looking... unreliable of late, including his being distracted during the artifacts craze, his actions in DeeCee, his long absence in the metaplanes, blowing the new Treaty out of the water, the rising chaos in Denver, his policies making metahumans second class citizens compared to spirits, and so on. So they decided to hedge their bets with a corp/nation that just showed they could go toe to toe with a great dragon and come off even, if not win. Plus, they get rid of part of the Ute lands that have been giving them headaches, and gain a bunch more in prime Texas lands.
But yes, without a treaty, things are looking nasty. Anything could start a war across North America, especially since if you look at the people in Denver, the UCAS and Sioux and the CAS and Aztlan have been having low-level skirmishes for years. Never anything that would be 'causus beli', but without a treaty all it takes is someone pushing the right button, and everything goes up in smoke. Ironically, I don't think the fighting would get
too bad in/around Denver, because no one really wants to plan on fighting Ghostwalker and an army at the same time, but it could have big implications in Seattle, if the Sidhe-Salish get drawn in because of NAN alliances. The real problem is that a war between the major powers of North America won't stop at just redrawing maps. The Azzie-Amazonia war was in South America, and, with the exception of the Nicaragua Canal getting blasted and Sirrurg destroying most of Aztlan's food, didn't really have much economic impact outside the sectors directly involved. You were just starting to see the real impact in the world at large when the war ended. Part of this is because most of the fighting was around Bogota (not a major economic center) and miles of jungle. Advertisers, mercs, and munitions suppliers raked in the cash, but how much impact did the war have on, say, the average guy in Seattle? Until the shortages caused by Sirrurg's attack in the Carib League started moving through the system, it was business as usual at the Stuffer Shack.
Compare that to a war in North America. So many nations, with so many economic hubs, and so many corporations. If war breaks out for real, the impact will be felt immediately. Especially if groups who have been feeling oppressed decide to make their displeasure known in the chaos. PCC gets caught up in a war, the Ute rebels may stage a coup. The Manitou tribe might make another play for independence if they think no one's paying attention. The ripples could even spark more tension between CalFree and Tir Tairngir, especially since Hestaby isn't there to serve as a deterrent to war. Or the Tir could just sit this out, and start making Portland into a major port again, since Seattle will come under heavy fire if the NAN start moving. There's simply too many moving parts to this one, so it is impossible to know how it will end.
What do we know about the Jester Spirit? My reading of Lightning in Denver made me think it was a kind of wild card, masquerading as Harlequin to deceive Puck, and that the uglier actions (like the terrorist attacks on civilians) where due to it.
Isn't that a Spirit Harlequin used once that broke loose and is now one of Harly's enemies?
I... don't think so. Gwynplaine (the ally spirit that went free) isn't likely to help Harlequin. No, I think the Jester Spirit is something that has been haunting Harlequin a long time. Perhaps the first echoes of a mad Passion returning to the world.
