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An encounter reaches beyond its own event node into the past and future of the campaign. That means the Troll is stalking the area because (a) it is hungry and this is its territory, or (b) it has traveled here from elsewhere and is looking for food.
It has a history that provides links to event-locations in its past that will result in something in the future. Perhaps it was driven from its caves in the upper valley beyond the pass in which case what drove out a Troll (a dragon perhaps).
Maybe this troll massacred a few farmhouses along the way so there will be rumors of massacres near the pass (if time allows for such discoveries).
If the troll is eating people who travel a certain road, then why are the merchants on it instead of the long road that is safer? Did they know there was a troll attacking travelers? If the Troll keeps killing then the trade route servicing the communities along it will fail resulting in long term declines.
If you have a good map done with ProFantasy software, there can be hyperlinks for encounters, lairs, etc. Keeping it dynamic, as far as I know, is still the GM's task (if there is a good program for running a fantasy world's background activity let me know!). Ideally all this should be considered, but how much area does it take to support 1 troll/family of trolls/tribe of creatureX? My real world only allows so much time taken in administering my fantasy world, so I don't always keep track of minutiae.
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If you have a good map done with ProFantasy software, there can be hyperlinks for encounters, lairs, etc. Keeping it dynamic, as far as I know, is still the GM's task (if there is a good program for running a fantasy world's background activity let me know!). Ideally all this should be considered, but how much area does it take to support 1 troll/family of trolls/tribe of creatureX? My real world only allows so much time taken in administering my fantasy world, so I don't always keep track of minutiae.
Then it it probably the wrong thing you are keeping track of. The stats are unimportant and slow the game. I suggest Free Kriegsspiel thinking - the stuff you focus on is not the stats of troop companies, but rather the command & communication networks, fog of War, and so forth.
It is the situation they find themselves in that will be more significant - what is going on around you (Points of Light is about group objects and event motion across a mesh made of points of light (some are active others not active)).If you are marching on the Ruins of castle Wunder then you are going to encounter the refugees who fled the War two miles north and have taken up residence before you arrive (If it is after you arrive then maybe they steal your pack animals and eat them while you are inside).
Well yes - although I've no idea why you'd want to constantly play with hyperlinks instead of few notes on weekly events. This is why its so important to consider the effects of rules changes on the larger world though: it lets you keep the background events making sense and your world believable.