[SoG spoilers] Handling Big Mysteries in the Emergent Game Nomenclature

Need some input on how to handle world/campaign scale mysteries within the emergent campaign structure, specifically how to present them to players so that character goals can interact with them.

My instinct is that mysteries/reveals would be treated like locations unless the curse has a specific goal and mechanism of action. Give the characters a problem statement about which they can ask why, but not the detailed cause. The 'locations' should not be questions but anchors to generate questions.

I would love to hear stories about how you have handled it or if you are familiar with Season of Ghosts about how you suggest I handle it.

[context with total spoilers for Season of Ghosts AP]

In the adventure path we are playing the characters are residents of the town of willowshore that was the subject of a failed ritual attempting to stop a demon from emerging, which resulted in everyone in town being dead and their souls trapped in a mindscape where they have been repeating the same year for 100 years while the demon slowly gaining power. The players do not realize their characters are dead. In the first act, the characters fight of monster manifistation of the demon's influence, discover they are trapped within a wall of mists, and uncover clues suggesting something trapped beneath the monestary (demon) is responsible. In the second act they travel to the monestary and discover that the demon is close to breaking free, destroy it, and determine that it is not responsible for the mists. In the third act they discover that the governor was responsible for a ritual that caused this, break into his private mindscape, where they learn they are all undead and trapped in a mindscape, and that many of the horror themed manifistations are exorcists trying to get rid of their spirits. In the fourth/final act the characters fight off these exorcists, work to destroy the mindscape and release their souls, either to return to life or to pass on.

So, yes, very reactionary, but in this case I don't think it makes sense to give the players the meta knowledge of the three big reveals. That said, these big reveals are the major climax and it would be nice if each were meaningful to the characters.

So here is my gut ... add

Act 1 - "Everything changed overnight, strange mists surround and monsters inhabit Willowshore" not "What is wrong with Willowshore?"

Act 2 - "Kugaptee was mentioned by several Noppera Bo and the name appears in writings by the monks from the old monestary." not "Who is Kugaptee?" or "Destroy Kugaptee?"

Act 3 - "Something other than Kugaptee is holding the curse of the mists in place." not "Find the person responsible for the ritual" or "Who is responsible for creating the mists?"

Act 4 - "A force outside the mindscape is causing the spiritual manifestations and haunts."

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