Xenon the Antiquarian

"It's so rare to have company. Well, living company, at any rate."

Xenon the Antiquarian is the owner of the Black Emporium, located deep under the streets of Kirkwall.

Background
Xenon is an ancient being, at least 300 years old. He was once a Kirkwall nobleman who made a deal with a powerful witch, who granted him eternal life, but not eternal youth. His body withered and decayed over the centuries. Xenon used his fortune in an attempt to preserve his body using mystical and dangerous means, but no method has ever been successful. He went into hiding in the Undercity and began collecting strange and rare artifacts. He extends invitations to his shop only to people he deems worthy: those who have enough money to fund his search for a cure against aging.

Xenon is immoble and uses a magical artifact to imitate speech, since he lost the ability to speak. He sits in the center of his emporium and appears to have an excess of limbs. He is bathed hourly to keep his body from drying up.

Involvement
Xenon sends Hawke a letter at the beginning of Act 1, an invitation to The Black Emporium, along with instructions on navigating the Undercity to reach the shop and a charm that acts as a pass. At Hawke's initial visit to the Black Emporium, Xenon is excited to have a customer. He keeps an urchin girl as his assistant, and a stone golem, Thaddeus Gigantus Crumbum the Third, provides security and theft protection. Xenon claims Thaddeus is his "favorite."

Clicking on Xenon unlocks Codex entry: Xenon the Antiquarian. Walking past Xenon triggers dialogue: He may mention intruders or other customers, or encourage Hawke to look around and admire his collection. In each act, more of Xenon's artifacts become available in The Black Emporium to unlock codex entries, and Xenon adds new items to his inventories.

Dragon Age II

 * "The Templar sometimes come here, you know. The blood stains take just weeks to clean up. Poor Thaddeus."
 * "Some Dane fellow asked, "Why make a shop so hard to find?" I mean, really! He just has no concept."
 * "Few people are worthy of an invitation, you know. They search the sewers for the emporium and accost poor urchin. And I tell urchin to say, "No! You are not worthy. Starve in the sewers!" Except urchin never speaks."

Dragon Age: Inquisition

 * "Over there are some illicit books on blood magic or at least, I think. I haven't been able to turn my head for fifty years."

Trivia

 * Xenon's story of immortality is likely based on Tithonus, the lover of the Greek God Eos from Greek mythology. Eos asked Zeus to make Tithonus immortal but, like Xenon, forgot to ask for eternal youth. He then aged until he become nothing more than a grasshopper, which Eos kept in a box.