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“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 who is almost 300 years old.[1] He was once a Kirkwall nobleman living in the Steel Age. Extremely wealthy, and equally arrogant, he believed that someone as high-ranking as himself should not have to succumb to death, and so spent many years and a large amount of his fortune in search of a way to live forever.[2]

Eventually, he found an Antivan Witch of the Wilds, and made a deal with her to attain eternal life. She granted him his wish, but he, unfortunately, forgot also to ask for eternal youth. [1][2] 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.[1] Finally no longer able to move on his own, 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.[1] The many servants who take care of him still hunt to find a way to reverse the effects of aging and return him to his once youthful state.[2]

Xenon is immobile and uses a magical artifact to imitate speech as he lost his ability to speak.[1] 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.[1]

Involvement[]

Dragon Age II[]

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.[3] At Hawke's initial visit to the Black Emporium, Xenon is excited to have a customer. He keeps an urchin boy as his assistant, and a stone golem, Thaddeus Gigantus Crumbum the Third, provides security and theft protection. Xenon claims Thaddeus is his "favorite".

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: Inquisition[]

Years later, Xenon extends an invitation to the Inquisition to come and partake of his wares. Though the golem does not seem to be present when the Inquisitor visits, they do encounter a miniaturized bear named Chauncey that Xenon has acquired from a Magister sometime in the past few years.

Xenon's servants have apparently been busy over the last few years acquiring many new artifacts and items, including legendary crafting schematics, and rare armor, weapons, and accessories.

Quests[]

The Black Emporium The Black Emporium (war table)

Quotes[]

Main article: Xenon the Antiquarian/Dialogue

Codex entries[]

Codex entry: Xenon the Antiquarian Codex entry: Xenon the Antiquarian
Codex entry: Xenon the Antiquarian Codex entry: Xenon the Antiquarian

Note texts[]

The Black Emporium The Black Emporium

Trivia[]

  • Xenon's story of immortality is likely based on Tithonus, the lover of the Greek Goddess 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 became nothing more than a grasshopper, which Eos kept in a box.
  • Xenon is referenced in BioWare's Anthem video game. The bar in Fort Tarsis was formerly named the Black Emporium and the current owner, Max, scarcely recalls her predecessor was named Xeno, who was struck by lightning.
  • His voice and some of his quotes resemble that and those of Darth Sidious, better known as Palpatine or the Evil Emperor from Star Wars. He seems to have a fascination with dark power and objects, hence also the Sith Crone similarities.
  • Xenon's Golem, Thaddeus Gigantus Crumbum the Third, is a reference to the animated television show "The Venture Bros.," whose main character is Dr. Thaddeus Venture. In the second season premier, which debuted in 2006, Dr. Venture's son Hank calls him a "crumbum" as an insult.
  • He is against the Red Templars finding his shop claiming "they'd just break everything".
  • Xenon has fed a Venatori visiting his shop to a monster living under the floorboards.
  • A bard claims to have seen Xenon at an auction house in Llomerryn.[4]

See also[]

The Best Defense The Best Defense

Gallery[]

References[]

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