Taro Sorim, the Teller

Taro Sorim, the Teller is a member of the Pinara Itaraka race of Laratia. A wanderer with an enthusiasm for good stories, Taro is well known throughout the Northern Reaches for his particular flair when retelling a tale, especially ones he witnessed firsthand.

The Pinara Itaraka are a race foreign to the land of Laratia. They evolved from a bear-like mammalian race on a distant world, in a hominid convergence path all too common in the galaxy. Their ancestors were warriors on their way to a battle when the vessels in which they travelled were thrown far astray. Unable to repair their ships or find any nearby comrades, the Pinara Itaraka landed on Laratia to live out their days. They soon bloomed into a full society amongst the natives of Laratia, though Laratia's magic energies were and still are toxic to them.
Exposure to mana (magic) causes an effect in a Pinara's body that resembles poisoning by ionizing radiation. In the most extreme case known, a Pinara exposed to a raw mana well simply melted, their cellular structure itself breaking down. The sight was reportedly unspeakably horrific.

Tellers are a kind of genetic profession amongst the Pinara Itaraka. All Tellers are born with a genetic quirk that gives them two abilities: telempathy and perfect recall. Telempathy manifests as the ability to perceive and project emotional content, but not specific thoughts. The strength of this ability varies between individual Tellers, but functions generally identically. The perfect recall capacity of a Teller is linked to the telempathy, wherein the structures that make the telempathy possible also reinforce the memory-forming components of the Pinaran brain. Most Pinara have very good memory to start with, but a Teller cannot forget anything.
Tellers are charged with keeping the history and folklore of the Pinara Itaraka, and are often brought to the scenes of what turn out to be important historical events by virtue of them being ideal diplomats. Their telempathic powers grant them keen insight into the subtleties of negotiation and diplomacy, making them experts in the games of politics.

Guardian of Earth was a title granted to Taro during his travels with the other Heroes of the Second Graath War, during the time when the Pinara's spacefaring cousins found Laratia and decided to make contact. The abilities of the Earth Guardian allow Taro to manipulate, detect, and analyze the earthy material around him. During one engagement, he summoned the capacity to break a small mountain into pieces and throw it at a Graath air fleet. This ability requires Taro to meditate at least once a day, focusing on keeping his power in check.

Personality: Taro is generally easygoing and gentle, but will stand fast and bring to ruin anything that intends harm to those he has chosen to protect. He is a natural showman by virtue of his Teller background, and enjoys all things literary, with a fondness for wordplay and puns.