The Xan - Overview

The Xan are an entity of unknown but considerable extent whose presence has been documented in every corner of the Patchwork Places. Their origin realm is, as of yet, unknown, and the method by which they use to transit between the borders of realms is equally shrouded, but they seem to be most densely populated in Places where the laws of reality are malleable and there are large societies present. Some speculate that this is owed to their method of feeding, while others contend that their enigmatic purposes simply favor the conditions created by other sapient creatures. Others still will postulate that there are just as many Xan present in remote locations as elsewhere, and the only reason more of them are seen in cities is that there are more opportunities to observe them. The fact that a not inconsiderable portion of Xan theorists have been found out as Xan themselves throws both credence and opposition to these theories.

The Xan, thus labeled both collectively and individually, is a creature of amorphous flesh that possesses the ability to shift and alter its form in an almost limitless variety of ways, held back only by the creativity of that particular Xan. They will commonly adopt an unassuming disguise when infiltrating civilized societies, with the most common default being a lanky, bald, pale-skinned human with dark eyes and a sickly appearance. Many Xan are aware of this appearance’s notoriety, and will adopt it only in private or in front of someone they know will not reveal their secret. The reason why so many of them continue to assume this appearance is unknown, and likely tied to their origins. They sustain themselves off of the neural energy of other creatures, and will suck out and consume the brains and nervous systems of their victims to feed. This is the most common way they are found out, for they must feed increasingly frequently the more they use their shapeshifting abilities, and they often stop caring to hide the bodies when on the cusp of reaching their enigmatic goals. Some Xan have been documented as being able to assimilate the flesh of dead bodies into themselves, and it isn’t currently known why this isn’t a more common behavior.

The Xan are a nightmarish, alien menace with no morals and what could at most be described as an apathetic view of the sanctity of life. It’s unclear whether they are a collective organism or a vast array of identical copies all bearing the same personality, but the end result is the same. Every Xan seeks knowledge, delving into the obscure, occult and forbidden sciences across the breadth of every realm, and they will stop at nothing to achieve their goals. Infiltration, sabotage, murder, exploitation, all pittances for an ageless shapeshifter with obscure motives and a sadistic genius. It’s impossible to predict what any individual Xan might be pursuing, nor whether there’s any rhyme or reason to their mysterious experiments. Their total numbers are completely unknown, and most people will never see a Xan, nor ever know if they’ve met one. Across all the Patchwork Places, however, the rumors remain, persisting through cabals and laboratories alike - if you need to find something out, and seek it out fervently enough, chances are the Xan will find you to share their forbidden knowledge.

Only time will tell if you’ll regret it.