Dirk Waylaid

**Author:** omnitricks

**Name:** Dirk Waylaid
**Age:** 37
**Affiliations:** The Cabal, Tandem criminals, Tandem politicians

**Physical Description:** Dirk Waylaid does not appear in public unless he has specific work which
 needs done. As he could remain at The Solution for days at a time
anyone visiting would find him very messy and sometimes even smelling
funny from all the reagents he would have to work with. Even if he does
clean himself up to his satisfaction before leaving the store, he would
still be regarded as messy and sometimes even be mistaken as a beggar or
 tramp by others as he wouldn't even bother to groom himself unless
forced by someone else.

There are only some occasions where Dirk would take the effort to look
good, bringing out his barely used suit and getting himself groomed but
those are far in between. Occasions which he goes to reluctantly because
 he is obliged to by some other person which he needs to remain in good
graces with.

**Personality:** All those years set in his work has caused Dirk to be distant towards
others as there is no telling what change might happen the next day. He
knows what he provides are capable of doing things which would either
bring good and bad but he has already justified to himself that if he
isn't the one providing his goods there would be others. The most he
could do is to to do the best that he can so that there would be less
complications in both cause and result for his customers. At the very
least, as he tells himself, the more effective his work the less
unintended consequences would be required in Tandem.

Despite fooling everyone else that he actually cares about them,
especially his clients there are a rare few things which Dirk actually
cares about. The forerunner of that is the Tandem restaurant, Mikey's or
 more specifically the Mikey's Muffins it serves. Not even Dirk knows
the reason of his obsession with the pastry and he has at least tested
it to determine there are no addictive in it but it is very important to
 him, demonstrated when the last guy which tossed it on the ground
calling it "peasant's food" was found dead of "natural causes"
immediately the next day.

**History:** Dirk has always been a part of Tandem as much as it is a part of him.
While his childhood is nothing remarkable, being brought up by a pair of
 rather skilled artisans Dirk eventually was discovered to have a
excellent eye for detail and ended up in an apprenticeship to one of the
 city's doctors. Eventually some things happened and Dirk was forced to
acquire some of his master's more dangerous items to help a friend who
was in a spot. A few months after when his act was discovered as the
investigation into the death of one of the city's nobility was
surprisingly through, Dirk was let go of his apprenticeship, fortunately
 not even arrested due to a technicality of him not actually
administering the poison which killed his victim and his friend lying
about the manner he acquired the poison.

However eventually, he was approached by the more unscrupulous elements
of the city to help provide them with other substances. With no other
skills of note, Dirk begrudgingly complied to make ends meet. With some
luck and careful planning, Dirk was able to make it through without
being made a scapegoat of others and got some reputation among those
which actually mattered enough for him to continue his work in peace.
His random walk ins, he considers as a way for him to make up for all
the ill deeds which has harmed so many people already.

**Advantages:**

**The Solution [Rank 2] (Exceptional-Locus):** A shop which Dirk has spent nearly two decades trying to establish.
Despite being relatively obscure except to a specific clientele to
Tandem there are occasions where a random citizen was lucky enough pass
through its doors obtaining the solution to their current problems going
 on to improve their life to the point of being able to continually
patronize the store.

**Poisons, toxins and venom [Rank 2] (Rare-Personal):** Dirk is practiced in making all manners of poisons, toxins and venoms to
 harm or even kill a person. He has no considerations of what they are
used for because as far as he is concerned his responsibilities end the
moment product and payment trades hands. While Dirk already has a select
 group of clients, those who actually use his services for these items
or even has the knowledge he is able to provide them is even smaller as
it isn't the type of reputation he wishes to be tied to.

**Performance Enhancers [Rank 2] (Rare-Personal):** Over the counter products. Unlike the more diabolical substances which
are specially crafted for his customers these are open to anyone in the
store although they are really basic things. Those which want the more
potent stuff would have to probe more or at least make it worth Dirk's
while for them to get their hands on it.

**Dirk's Black Book [Rank 1] (Uncommon-Contacts):** A list of patrons to Dirk. Some has already paid him off for his
services and some owes him favors in return for that which he has
provided. Either way if the details of it gets out there will be
problems in Tandem for some time.

**Nest Egg [Rank 1] (Rare-Item):** Although Dirk's skillset allows him to live on a day to day basis as
long as there is a demand for it, Dirk still has some savings stashed
away for emergencies.

**Crush'n Crunch (Si Naad) [Rank 1] (Uncommon-Personal):** Because of the nature of his work, Dirk has some knowledge on how to
defend himself which was taught to him by one of his old clients, now a
leading member of one of the many mercenary groups of the world. Dirk
calls it the Crush'n Crunch because that is its effect and he never
really acquainted himself with its true name.

**Source and distribution [Rank 1] (Special):** Dirk's products are treated as items after being made which can be used
by anyone. The ready made products which can be obtained at any time are
 treated as rank 1 advantages whereas the custom made products can go up
 to the relevant advantages' rank based on how specific and accurate
they are made for the end result.