So my group has successfully(?) navigated their way through RRR, defeated Hargulka's Kingdom, and started expanding their own while building and maintaining their network of allies and minding their Venture Capital, etc., etc. A couple of months have passed since defeating the big H and during that time they have mostly finished exploring the Greenbelt and continued to work on their kingdom -- which is, momentarily, running a bit low on funds, though will be easily taken care of with a month or two of no new building. About the only thing they haven't really resolved yet is Grigori, in part because they believe that he has the right to speak his mind and as such don't really want to discourage it.
All that said, among the things I've done since, literally, Day One is foreshadow Book 3 by having occasional interactions with a certain expedition leader. Near the end of the last session, after receiving a friendly communique from Varnhold, the party decided it would be a swell idea to travel to Varnhold to meet face to face and to deliver a gift to the leaders of Varnhold as a sign of good faith.
So my initial reaction of course is: Eureka! Plot Hooked without any fishing!
On the other hand though, I'm also thinking "Hmmm, is it really cool to have the events unfold so quickly after the messages back and forth?" (it would likely be roughly two weeks after the messages were exchanged that they arrive in Varnhold).
So the basic question is, what would you do? On the one hand, letting the plot hook itself might give a sense of urgency to the party as, obviously, it couldn't be all that long since the events began -- and it makes it easier and more logical that certain parties might still be around (I really don't want a certain someone to necessarily be killed off screen for instance).
On the other hand, I'm also thinking that if I give them the chance to really build up a friendly relationship/alliance, it might make the events of the book all the more poignant.
In the end I think its a bit of a win-win as I don't think I can go completely wrong, I'm just curious what others would do. FWIW, the decision has definitely been made and the party ended the last session in Restov as they saw it as a) the easiest road to travel and b) gave them a chance to resupply.
As always, thanks in advance for any advice/ideas/assistance!
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How often do they communicate with the people over there?
If it's relatively consistent, the letters can stop coming (which is what prompted my group to go for a walk and see what was going on).
Perhaps this meeting can prompt to have that start to happen if it's not happening yet? (Monthly updates on what's going on with the centaurs or something?)
Personally, I like the idea of building the friendship up a little first... Maybe have the group meet some of the people around town (or some of the people visiting). Get them to care more about the town and the people in it. Get them to understand the situation over there... it makes it matter a lot more when things change and they'll start to draw the obvious conclusions that are meant to be drawn.
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I also introduced Varn early, and I think it's a great idea to introduce every neighbouring kingdom leader - Varn, Irrovetti, Drelev - early in the piece, rather than the odd concept that the PCs only become aware of their neighbouring kingdoms at the moment they become plot relevant. There are numerous political events - weddings, dinners, festivals - where such meetings can become easy.
Given the length of kingdom turns, it wouldn't take long to pass 6 months in game. Have them meet Varn (and, if you desire, other NPCs from Book 3 like Maester Paedrod) and hit it off. Establish a trade deal between the kingdoms, giving the PC kingdom a small boon of +1 Economy or some Build Points. Offer a marriage proposal from Varn's now-invented child to secure relations between kingdoms. Then Varnhold vanishes, and the PCs are much more motivated to investigate. The plot hook can come right to them when a couple of PC Kingdom merchant caravans go into Varnhold and don't come back (victims of Vordekai, the centaurs, or the spriggans as you like).
If you want to avoid intentionally bonding the PCs to NPCs, then killing off the NPCs (which can sour players on bonding), there's nothing stopping you from leaving Varn or others alive in soul jars rather than killed by Vordekai. Varn can surrender his kingdom to the PCs, recognising he isn't up to facing the threats like Vordekai, and become a councillor, or mayor of Varnhold, or the like.
Thanks for the replies! These make a lot of sense and is pretty much what my gut was telling me, it was more the sense of "Okay, we walked over to Varn and now we're going to walk over to Varn" that had me a little on edge.
As for the communications from Varn, they've been more one way (i.e. Varn sending the occasional missive with the PCs not really taking much notice) and frankly, I think that is part of what inspired the PCs to go for a walk, they realized that he seemed to be trying to build something there and they hadn't really gotten around to doing anything yet.
I did introduce all the neighboring communities early on (PCs met Varn, Drelev and the Iron Wolves in the first session then met Irrovetti at the start of RRR when he showed up outside of Restov with a shield from the Iron Wolves -- shamelessly stolen from these boards). I agree that building relations with Varn sounds like a great idea first. Plus I've been playing a bit of the Game of Thrones in Brevoy so I have the upcoming Civil War that can help fuel the fires and occupy their time as well.