What follows is truly a spoiler; it contains information regarding the larger continent upon which the Altera Valley exists. Details are left out such that it will not provide any information that would likely effect the way anyone plays their characters, but it does contain general information which your characters would not know. If you would like a more detailed version I would be happy to provide it, on the condition you swear a solemn oath not to metagame. I just want to give you guys a chance to see the general direction the human race is headed.
Can ghosts metagame, or are they considered characters too?
Ghosts should, in general, avoid A) directly impacting another character of the same player, and B) actions which would require me to post information which would give the mercenaries information which they should not be privy to yet.
The second one is really the more problematic one: if I let a ghost run all over the continent, when I describe it to them it would reveal a wealth of information to the mercenaries, when they are intended to discover that for themselves.
A great example of this is the Burning Sea. If a ghost were to survey it they would likely learn all of the details necessary to exit the valley, and by them learning the other characters would know. Whereas the mercenaries right now would have to be terribly clever, and spend quite a bit of money, to find a way to figure that challenge out without quite a few deaths.
I hope this makes sense/answers your questions. If you can think of a way around this problem I'm open to it.