I think it is out in Japan now, since the release date on the ad was October 17th. I was a little surprised that it isn't up on ebay or anything though, so maybe it was delayed or something?
The character guide (the title is spelled caractere guide for whatever reason) is basically a book that outlines the characters and worlds the TRC group has been to. It has little sections of commentary by each character, ratings for strength/charisma/mental power...etc. There's a fan section at the back of the first guide that has fanart, character ratings (favorite character, pairing, scene...and stuff). At the back of the first one there was a 'material gallery' that had some concept sketches of the main characters (LOL KUROGANE) and monsters, places... there was also the rough draft of the first TRC chapter at the end.
I really want to see the new guide. Hopefully the japanese import book store thingy near here will have it soon~