What is Belor Hemlock's ancestry?

[Selk]

Belor Hemlock, Sandpoint's noble and no nonsense sheriff, doesn't look Chelish, Varisian or Shoanti, according to the racial descriptions given for those folk in the Pathfinder Player's Guide.

What's his ancestry?

[Traken]

He's probably Chelaxian, but that's not going off what he looks like. It's more off the location and what he does. Or... he's the son of a Chelaxian woman who was raped by a Shoanti tribesman... That would explain his prowess in battle and how he turned out to be a sheriff.

[Zootcat]

The Player's Guide says "the far-reaching and polyethnic holding of Cheliax allow humans of varied heritages to claim Chelish descent. So numerous and varied are these immigrants that the natives of Varisia now simply refer to all humans not of Varisian or Shoanti blood as Chelaxians." Page 3.

So, I'd say he's probably one of these ethnic Chelaxians. But more specifically, he looks Black to me. Now this is a prefect opportunity for me to ask a related question that I had been wondering about— Where do the Blacks originate from in Pathfinder Chronicles?

[Azzy]

Well, since the Cheliax empire is supposed to cover a good amount of territory ("far-reaching and polyethnic holdings of Cheliax"), I'm assuming he's one of the different ethnicities that were assimilated into the Chelaxian culture ("humans of varied heritages to claim Chelish descent").

In short, I believe he's Chelaxian--just not ethnic Chelaxian. Just like many citizens of classical Rome were not necessarily ethnically Latin.

[James Jacobs]

Belor is Shoanti. He's abandoned many of the traditions of his folk, though, (but not the head-shaving tradition), and grew up in Sandpoint. There's more information on him in Pathfinder 1 and 2, and I don't want to spoil minor bits about his character here.

Actual skin color among Shoanti is pretty variable. The player's guide describes them as "ruddy," but there are certainly Shoanti who are paler skinned and obviously Shoanti who look African (like Belor).

[Selk]

Shoanti? Reeeealy? Huh, with a surname like Hemlock I wonder if Belor wasn't condemned by his own people. Neat.

[James Jacobs]

Belor's name is indeed a point of contention in the adventure, especially with his brother Garridan who runs the White Deer inn there in Sandpont.

[Mr. Slaad]

what color exactly is ruddy?

[Selk]

You take someone who's more or less white Caucasian, give them a little sun, slap 'em a few times and hand them a beer. Ruddy.

[Zootcat]

Ruddy means red or reddish.

[Zootcat]

So Belor is Shoanti. I didn't expect that, but that's cool. He sounds like he'll be an interesting character. I'm looking forward to finding out more about him.

[Snorter]

I thought it was Roy, from Order of the Stick...

[Lilith]

Snorter wrote:

I thought it was Roy, from Order of the Stick...

LOL. I thought the same thing myself.

[Azzy]

Damn you guys. Now I'm going to think "Roy" every time I see that picture.

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On an unrelated note... What's up with the magically appearing and disappearing posts? I didn't see Zoocat's first post when I initially responded (incorrectly, I might add). This sort of thing has happened in other threads, too.

[Mike McArtor]

Azzy wrote:

On an unrelated note... What's up with the magically appearing and disappearing posts? I didn't see Zoocat's first post when I initially responded (incorrectly, I might add). This sort of thing has happened in other threads, too.

It's a cool new feature we're trying out. ;)