Thank you Tricholome for your detailed and kind feedback! I'm glad you like these ideas, and I have passed on your compliments to my sister-in-law :)
I like your suggestion for factions to be able to use VIPs from enemy factions (reinforcing the corruption theme) - I will explore this option to see if it enhances the gameplay without adding too much rules bloat.
I don't think the VIPs remain static at all though - they are indeed placed during setup, but they must move every single turn, and may move again every single turn as per Too Good to Turn Down. Furthermore, the Confederacy may move enemy VIPs via Astute Diplomacy if enemies remove their pieces, meaning VIPs may move 3-5 times per round if they are battling the Beavers.
Of course, all this will be playtested extensively. I envision a dynamic and interactive action wheel that encourages interaction at Lodges and strategic planning to get the most use out of the available actions in the long term. The Confederacy will also need to plan critically to mitigate the effectiveness of enemy VIPs!