Very good points, everybody. I'm taking them into consideration as I map out the dungeon on paper and put down ideas into my campaign notebook.
D20Dwarf-When you come up to New Jersey, then you can test your mettle in it.
And the dungeon is truly worth exploring, as I said, rumors of a goddess(Drendari) trapped within, of dragon hoards of treasure, magic items enough to equip an army, etc.
A few of the NPCs are:
Beetros-The resident guide, Beetros is a minotaur who was freed from his enslavement to a Summoner and taught by Reona. Beetros, unlike most of his kind who learn the "civilized" tongues, has absolutely no accent. He speaks perfect, crisp Common, Benetian, and Calvadian. Very apologetic if he causes people trouble(stepping on the resident spryte, for example, or scaring someone who's not used to seeing a minotaur dressed in breastplate).
Reona-One of the original founders, Reona sticks around because he has no family outside of his old adventuring buddies(most of whom are dead, with the exception of 2: Shiriz(Angcuru's mentor) and Klayore(who really is dead, Reona doesn't know that yet though)). He's gotten used to a life underground(and still is willing to throw on his armor and act as backup on a venture to the 6th level, which he calls the Complex) and enjoys the attention and admiration he gets from younger adventurers(he's 60 years old).
Athien-The young female diviner(actually she's much older, but thanks to the wonders of chronomancy, she keeps turning back the clock on herself in terms of looks), she acts like she sees all and knows all(which she just might), and specializes in identifying magic items(as well as possibly telling you who first carried it and what they wanted to do with it, as is the case with the rogue's new crossbow, "he carried it into the maze with the intentions of coming to kill me. Foolish.", as well as the ancient art of innkeeping(what, did you think a normal innkeeper would be insane enough to come down here)?
Angus-A smiling dwarf with a beard almost as long as he is tall, Angus works the desk at the inn, and is also a dwarven craftsman from the mountain halls of Hammerheim. Has an inordinate "fondness" for elven women. "Elven lasses dig the facial hair."
Boggora-A summoner from the far-off land of Khem, Boggora is a Summoner, a practitioner of a type of magic not commonly seen in the Northlands. He is a junior member of the feared and infamous organization of bounty hunters known as the Spark Hunters, and was sent by his superiors to capture his own selection of monsters as a final test before becoming a full member(and becoming privy to all the secrets of the Spark Hunters). He isn't fully indoctrinated yet, so he may still become either ally or enemy to the PCs(who he'll realize soon enough are worth several hundred thousand crowns if he can bring them in to Emperor Tremayne of Calvadia).
Lhurg-A giant from the Frozen Wastes of Cambarro(he really hates that name, preferring that they just be called Cambarro if you insist on referring to his homeland in Common), Lhurg is everything you don't expect from someone who's childhood consisted of running around in dire bearskins, hunting and killing his own food: refined, sensitive, a great orator, and a master swordsman.
Ghalib-A Shombe tribesman from Nyambe, Ghalib swore revenge after a dragon came from across the Dyaro Sea and destroyed his village, killing his wife and newborn son. He's tracked the dragon this far and hopes to enlist help in slaying it. He's only entered Fortresstown because he tracked a band of orcs into the dungeon(orcs are hated and thought extinct in Nyambe, and IMW were allied with red dragons in the days of old, so it was a natural conclusion for him to reach that the dragon must be in the dungeon).
Boshir-A strong Nabula warrior and wrestler, Boshir is from the eastern coast of Nyambe and has travelled to the Northlands to bring back much riches, fame, and honor for his family. Has a strong dislike of Ghalib, who refuses to listen to Boshir talk about the superiority of the Nabula and what Ghalib calls "Boshir's false gods".
Urlis-A berserker from Calvadia, Urlis has found that he's unwelcome in almost any civilized place he travels(his rages are very destructive, and while in one he has a problem distinguishing friend from foe). After hearing about Fortresstown before leaving the city of Tantagel(capital of Calvadia) under, let's say, less than favorable circumstances, Urlis decided to travel to a place where he could leave the city limits and find peace in killing. Eerily enough, Urlis is dead calm when not in a rage(picture Orson from Record of Lodoss War. He's been unable to feel anything except for the rage that swells when he goes berserk for years).
Seth-A twitchy little human in a long black overcoat, Seth is an adventurer from the town of Nitany, in Calvadia. Seth was passing two miles from the castle one day(after being chased for miles by the orc tribe of the Moon Wolf for certain indiscretions) when he heard an unmistakably female voice on the wind calling his name, promising him the title of Prince of Thieves, if only she'd free her from her prison. Ending up in Fortresstown(the voice led him into the dungeon), he's been trying for a few months now to locate this prison somewhere in the dungeon, but has so far been unsuccessful.
That's all I've got so far as far as really detailed NPCs go. I'm working on writing up more of them however.
