Well, I don't know about the rpol thing you mentioned but there are a couple of play-by-post games going on here.
Also check out the "find a saga" thread (it's at the top). With a bit of luck you might find a tabletop game near you that has an open space.
https://forum.atlas-games.com/t/help-finding-an-ars-group-or-advertising-one/1874/1
But of course, the ultimate would be to drag your friends into the fantastic world of Ars and run your own saga. Though as you suggest, that's something to work up to.
Congrats on picking the book up though. It can sometimes be a complex beast to master but by crikey it's rewarding.
Mark