Dragon Age has provided players with a number of dark, sinister places to explore, but there's nowhere on Thedas creepier than the Black Emporium. Accessible in both Dragon Age II and Inquisition, the Black Emporium is owned and operated by an immortal being named Xenon the Antiquarian.
Once a rich nobleman of Kirkwall, Xenon used his vast financial resources to find a way to live forever, resulting in a bargain with an Antivan Witch of the Wilds to gain eternal life. Unfortunately, Xenon forgot to ask for eternal youth, and over the centuries his body continued to age and decay -- no matter what strange, mysterious and expensive means he explored to try and preserve it.
Available in both games as a free DLC extension, the shop contains rare materials for crafting unique antique armor and weapons. It also has a Mirror of Transformation that allows the player to change their character's appearance. Noted as a sinister and unpredictable artifact, a warning before use informs the player that it will not only change their appearance and lineage, but affect the way people perceive and remember them, as well as altering the appearance of their family members.
Xenon is not the only character in the Black Emporium. Attending to his needs and errands is an unnamed, male urchin child. There was also giant stone golem called Thaddeus Gigantus Crumbum the Third, who acted as a deterrent to those who might enter the shop with ill-intent. Inquisition also added a miniature bear named Chauncey, though Thaddeus was nowhere to be found, and the urchin child was female.
In Act One of Dragon Age II, Xenon sent a letter to Hawke, inviting them to visit the Black Emporium located in Kirkwall's Undercity. Included were instructions on navigating the Undercity and a charm that would allow Hawke to enter the shop once they arrived.
Among the shop's inventory, the player found numerous common and unique crafting materials, potions, elixirs and runes to enhance weapons and armor, and the items became even more rare as the player progressed through each act. There were also numerous weapons and armor pieces for sale that could only be purchased through the Emporium; just like the crafting materials, these improved (and got more expensive) with each act.
Years later, during the Inquisition, Xenon extended an invitation to the Inquisitor. Once the player accessed the Black Emporium through a mission offered on the War Table, they could travel to the Emporium and wander through its dark and mysterious corridors. Along with crafting materials, potions, weapons and armor, Inquisition also added exclusive and unique schematics referred to as the Schematics of Legend.
Visiting the Emporium early on in both games offered players the chance to make their character slightly more powerful -- assuming they had the gold to purchase materials. Inquisitors who took advantage of the Golden Nug feature, which allowed players to import previously attained armor and weapons schematics from previous playthroughs, could improve their armor and damage output after arriving at Haven by using rare materials purchased from the Emporium to smith more powerful items.
The unfortunate drawback to this, however, is that these items can be pricier than early game Inquisitors can actually afford. However, it is a great resource once you have the financial resources for it, providing lots of rare materials needed to craft masterwork weapons and armor after recruiting Dagna.
The Black Emporium obviously offers yet another shop where players can buy unique items and materials. However, the dark, horrifying backstory of its proprietor makes it even more intriguing, adding to the extensive history of Thedas and Kirkwall. Xenon, whose vocal chords have long since dried out and ceased to function, can be heard speaking through a mysterious magical device, often sharing creepy bits of wisdom and commentary on the bizarre items that populate his inventory and the unlucky, uninvited visitors who don't quite make it to his shop.
Xenon sits immobile in the center of the shop -- a vision of horror with his body distorted by an abundance of shriveled, bony limbs. Though one might find themselves asking what lessons a proprietor like Xenon has to offer, few actually visit him for his wisdom. Instead, they go there to gape at the bizarre antiques he keeps on display, and, of course, to dig into the rich stores of unique crafting materials and items.