Maybe the dev doesn't have yet a clear vision for the next steps with the characters mentioned and is taking his time to think about them more. Desert Stalker has become a monumental work for the genre, and I wouldn't be surprised if the author himself sometimes feels a bit overwhelmed by all the possible development paths and the amount of time and energy needed to reach the ending of every route - and then convey them in the story's climax.
I certainly would like more action with the main characters, but if we give the dev a break like this every now and then he will get some rest and still delivered someting good, even if half of an update is "filler".
When I was a teenager I used to watch Naruto or DBZ and there were some good fillers that kept me hooked, even if I longed for the next principal saga. I'm sure that with a little patience we'll get everything, even the war council with all the leaders who will have a huge orgy of reconciliation between the various factions over Zaton's dick

The quality of Zetan's work is always top-notch, so I expect even the temple content to be enjoyable and interesting anyway. Everything will come in due time, but also be aware that the project won't be finished for at least 5 years with all these ramifications. Lots of fun on the road await us...