I'm not trying to pick a fight, I promise, but I also think you don't really understand the point I'm trying to make.

I don't have any particular expectations right now, but I do want something to happen that makes me think "there's no way that really just happened." Going by your logic, the Nanamo assassination subplot really only has two possible outcomes that will satisfy the "status-quo" required for other quests. First is nobody (important) is harmed, yay good guys win. Second is Nanamo is unharmed but Raubahn dies, since he isn't yet flagged as "essential" by any other sub-quests. We have a subplot about Nanamo being in danger, but we already assume that she can't actually be in any danger, so there's no real tension.

I don't want the whole of continuity shattered forever, but I do want to see something, anything, that shatters preconceived notions of where they can take the ongoing story. Something we actually can't see coming.