Taking the Long Way Back

[jafar]

The only thing I ever actually call an NPC besides NPCs in games, are the thought-form characters in my dream state that are just parts of my own consciousness.

Just like NPC is a thought form of the game programmer so does the characters inside your dream.
Including ... *drum roll*.. your current physical body and identity.
And also all the web forum identities here, jafar, Black Dragon, and others...
Even the web forum itself....

All are thought forms of consciousness..
The NPCs of the great programmer.
With such definition then everything that is finite and everyone that has a bordered identification is an "NPC", as such that a finite thing which is "Not an NPC" actually do not exist.