lol I wish I had this info before I started the quest - now I'm stuck with some guy with a beard...oh well...I gotta finish the quest anyway.
When I went into Eldieme Necropolis (first I ran around the southern Battalia Downs entrance - surprised I didn't die!) there were about 70 people waiting in a very nice line for the NM, and a friend told me there were 90 in Ghelsba.