An NPC, or Non-Player-Character, is any character you encounter and interact with in Aion that is not controlled by other human players - they are generated and controlled by the game server. NPCs are either neutral or affiliated with a particular race or faction (Шаблон:Elyos or Шаблон:Asmo).
Typical examples of NPCs include quest givers, merchants, trainers or Guards.
Hostile NPCs are sometimes categorized as creatures (aka "mobs", wildlife or monsters).
They can be contrasted with Player Characters (PCs, or sometimes just "Players").