Editing Quelm (section)

== Chronology ==

=== Business history ===
Celum was a town that used to have only a few [Alchemists]; a recent addition was [[Octavia Cotton]], the youngest of them.<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2017/04/09/2-09/ Chapter 2.09]</ref>, but who managed to drum up a lot of business thanks to [[Erin Solstice]] and their joint invention of the matchstick, the main ingredient of which was flammable [[Corusdeer]] horn powder.

Quelm was considered to be around Level 20 to 25, and a moderately successful [Alchemist],<ref name="numb-1">[https://wanderinginn.com/2019/07/30/interlude-numbtongue-pt-1/ Interlude Numbtongue Pt. 1]</ref> and actually superior to Octavia. He was not only able to copy Octavia's invention, but to considerably improve its safety with a spark-dust igniter. He proceeded to sell these "sparking matches" cheaper than Octavia did with hers, which 'sparked' a confrontation where Octavia ambushed his shop at night with a Molotov cocktail. Her main concerns were that Quelm would partner with the remaining [Alchemists] Jeffil and Mabel, and undo her small business.<ref name="6.02" />

However, while Octavia considered Quelm to be "less thuggish" than Jeffil, he retaliated and hired thugs to damage Octavia's shop, next.<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2019/05/25/6-19-h/ Chapter 6.19 H]</ref>

Eventually, Quelm employed a complete gang of thugs and controlled the other Alchemists thanks to a racketeering business: He broke uncooperative Jeffil's legs and drove him out of town; while Mabel "the Magnificent" surrendered under the threat of violence, and paid Quelm's protection money. Octavia also bowed under the threat and stopped selling matches. Once Quelm has secured the monopoly on matches, he increased the prices even 50% higher than Octavia's previous price level.<ref name="numb-1" />

Quelm paid off the captain of Celum's city watch and planned to expand his business even more, but his schemes went down when Quelm's thugs tried to close down Octavia's business entirely and steal all her potions. [[Numbtongue]] and [[Yellow Splatters]] thwarted the thugs when they started an all-out attack; then Erin Solstice threw her weight around. As Celum's watch was in Quelm's pocket, [[Relc]] arrested Quelm on Erin's request.<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2019/08/03/interlude-numbtongue-pt-2/ Interlude Numbtongue Pt. 2]</ref>

Quelm's shop can currently be presumed closed.