Xan

"We're all doomed."

Xan is a lawful neutral elf enchanter and a potential companion.

Backstory
Xan is an enchanter and a Greycloak of Evereska. He was sent to investigate the political turmoil of the Sword Coast. Unfortunately, he was captured and held prisoner by Mulahey.

Recruitment
Xan is available from Baldur's Gate Chapter 2. He is found in the makeshift throne room in the Nashkel Mines, he can join the party to help defeat Mulahey. Note that he will leave if you turn him down, but when accepted then released from the party, he will remain where he is left to be recruited again if desired without protest, so there is absolutely no downside to accepting him.

He also appears in the Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn and Enhanced Edition tutorial, in which he explains how the wizard spells work.

Related quest

 * Xan (quest)

Relationships

 * Alora is constantly getting on Xan's case for being a huge "grumpypuss" who doesn't smile enough. Xan finds this extremely annoying and will often lash out at her verbally. Because of this, Alora thinks Xan is a big meanie. That doesn't seem to discourage her much, though, as she never stops her efforts to cheer Xan up.


 * Xan and Ajantis don't like each other, as Xan sees Ajantis as a narrow minded man who sees people as either good or evil. There does seem to be some respect between them, however - Xan is able to talk Ajantis down when he clashes with evil party members, effectively postponing a fight between said evil party members and Ajantis.
 * Xan seems to have some measure of respect for Dynaheir, and implies that he feels more secure with her around, but if the respect is mutual she doesn't show it.
 * Xan dislikes and distrusts Edwin.
 * Xan also hates Eldoth, as the bard is rude and also focused on benefiting himself. Xan suggests that Eldoth could do the whole party a favor by getting himself killed and he even has a special quote should Eldoth fall in battle, in which Xan expresses his joy on his demise.
 * Xan and Jaheira get along surprisingly well, even though they really don't talk much. They will periodically compliment each other, though neither ever responds to the other's compliments.
 * Khalid seems to think Xan is a bit rude, but appreciates his honesty.
 * Xan gets along well with Kivan.
 * Xan cannot stand Quayle, and the two end up arguing quite a bit, but that's really not surprising, considering most characters respond to Quayle the same way.
 * Safana finds Xan attractive, and will hit on him if the two are in the same party. Xan, however, will ignore her completely.
 * Xan is the victim of Viconia, who thinks that he is a weak man.
 * Xan does not think highly of Tiax.

Gameplay
The most significant negative aspect regarding this elven wizard is his specialization as an enchanter: he can't use evocation Spells. That means no Magic Missile, no Fireball or Lightning Bolt, no Cloudkill, etc. However, it does mean that he has more potent crowd control with his Enchantment spells because the targets of those will receive a -2 penalty to their saving throws.

He does not have any possessions; he is injured and has no spells memorized when first encountered. There is a weapon by the name Moonblade in a nearby chest which can only be wielded by Xan. It is very powerful, but due to his low constitution and being a mage, he isn't of much use for melee combat. This lack of combat skills may be a downside to recruiting him. However, his charm spells are handy, if used tactically.
 * In Enhanced Editions, companions who have fewer XP than protagonist at the time of their first joining will be given a certain amount of experience points for you to manually level them up to gain more control of their status.

Biography
"When asked about his past, XAN wistfully speaks of his home in the elven stronghold of Evereska, and his role as a Greycloak. It was apparently decreed that he was to investigate the events of the iron shortage, determine who or what were the causes, and ascertain whether there was a greater threat to the region as a whole. This was definitely not a small task, and he accepted the responsibility with a great deal of dread. You get the feeling, however, that he approaches everything with a great deal of dread. He has devoted his life to improving his mastery of magic and has become a skilled wizard, though this dedication has left him little time to make friends or acquire any other pastimes. He strikes you as very capable, though probably not the best influence on morale."

Personality
Xan is very pessimistic, and often makes negative comments while expressing surprise at success. Every now and then, a slight optimistic comment escapes him. His excessive gloom, despondency and moroseness is received differently by players, some find to be humorous, others might be annoyed by it.