Inum

Inum was a famous Iulutiun philosopher.

Description
Inum was one of the kiam (elders) of the iquemelum (village council) of the village of Gronne in Alpuk on the Great Glacier. He was widely considered one of the wisest men of all Alpuk, and folk would travel from all around to hear his wisdom.

By 1359 DR, Inum was a frail old man of nearly 70 years of age. He had many wrinkles and only a few remaining teeth. He walked with a cripple.

Personality
Despite his physical feebleness, Inum was of good spirits and never pessimistic.

Abilities
Inum was exceptionally perceptive. He was knowledgeable on a wide array of topics, ranging from boating to poetry to marriage. He was also a riveting teller of stories.

Possessions
Inum bore a typical iuak common to many Ulutiuns.

Activities
Inum would offer lectures to those who would travel to Gronne to hear his wisdom.

History
At some point in his life, Inum was attacked by a polar bear, which left him crippled in his left leg. He also suffered from several diseases over the course of his life that affected his breathing and the strength of his muscles.

When tensions grew strong between the frost giants and arctic dwarves of Novularond to the west of Gronne, Inum wanted to visit the giants and appeal to their sense of justice. The other kiam though Inum foolish in this and tried to stop him from approaching the giants lest he be captured or worse.

Philosophy
Inum held to the philosophy of qukoku, an animistic view about the order of the universe and a shared life-essence among all creatures. He believed very strongly that all creatures were inherently good at heart.

Quotations

 * "Survival is a war, but it is a war that can be won, so long as we struggle against nature instead of each other."
 * "Again and again, the pattern of history reveals a simple truth&mdash;that history has no pattern."
 * "In the scheme of all things we are small, pitiful things. If mountains could walk, why should we presume they would even bother to step over us?"
 * "What is not good for all is not good for the one."
 * "Beauty is deceitful; its promise of happiness is as false as its guarantee of permanence."
 * "The young of most animals are indifferent to men. It is experience that teaches them fear."
 * "A village is only as livable as its surroundings. We are caretakers not only of our homes, but of our world."
 * "What distinguishes a good man from a bad one may be something as simple as a circumstance of birth, or as complex as a lifetime of thoughtless choices."
 * "Above all things priceless is the value of a single child."