It is not an unreasonable request. Other games have added NPCs based on the characters of deceased players. And the NPC doesn't have to be integral to a story or quest or the player's progression (there are many NPCs you can talk to that never have quests or items for sale).
What I would like is for Echota to become an NPC that you can talk to. And he would have words of encouragement to players who speak with him.