Tieflings in Cheliax

[Weylin]

I have just read the Cheliax Gazeteer and the chapter on tieflings from Bastards of Erebus. It is mentioned that tieflings are treated as second class citizens, on par it seems with african-americans before the civil rights movement. What I did not find answered was how they really fit into the society. It was mentioned in another product (i cannot recall which) that tielfings were reviled even in Cheliax but that they had some sort of status as ambassadors to the Hells.

Could someone from Paizo clear this up for me please?

-Weylin

Orinally posted this in the wrong are, then moved it here.

[voska66]

I read the same thing but here's my take on it.

I think the average person probably would treat teiflings poorly. They probably fear any and everything infernal but don't want to offend and bring the wrath of the hell knights down. So they don't lynch Tieflings but would treat them badly. The nobility could have much the same feelings but their ties are even close to the devils. Those that seek to gain power through a deal with the devil though would seen as an ambassador to hell to that type of person.

[Kjob]

Not sure they serve as ambassadors due to their heritage at all. Legacy of Fire Players Guide mentions that tieflings are occasionally see in Bazaars shopping on behalf of their otherworldly masters, but I dont think thats what you were getting at.
Just from what I've read they're kind of like half-orcs in that society resent them due to their monstrous appearance and their innate capacity for evil (even though some tieflings are not evil, the most monstrous their appearance the more monstrous they act as a result of society treating them badly). Fiends, in turn, could care less for them due to their human taint/weakness.
When they do interact with society, tieflings join groups where their expertise can be put to best use as they know they can only gain prestige from their actions and abilities, and not at all from their heritage.
Hell, tieflings don't even seem to like each other much within their own society! Tieflings are very judgmental about fellow tieflings based on appearance. A tiefling who looks more "normal" will rise to power, almost naturally, and a very real pecking order will develop based on looks within the tiefling microsociety.
Im not aware of any literature that says that they're revered due to their heritage...only times important tieflings are mentioned is based on the merits of their "work," such as the tieflings in Pathfinder #13. Well ok, there may be one exception. Followers of Calistria may give them some respect based on appearance because they are an "exotic" species.

That said, I could see where Tieflings, could become perceived as ambassador's to hell, especially among the more impressionable commoners. I can easily envision a rather charismatic tiefling who really used his fiendish ancestry to his benefit by overplaying it to the masses. And I mean a specific sect of masses who would be a sort of "fiend-lover" sort of group who love/worship anything fiendish... Specifically, Bastards of Erebus discusses how some tieflings are able to use their appearance to have....eh....promiscuous relations with people.

[Weylin]

The mention I found was this:

http://pathfinder.wikia.com/wiki/Tiefling

This suggested to me that they acted as a sort of emissaries to Hell. I may have misconstrued it. Which is why I thought I would see if anyone at Paizo could take the time to officially clear it up.

[Kjob]

Ah, I see. If you look at the reference, the campaign setting defines them as interlocutors between the ruling para-castes and the infernal courts of Hell. Funny, though, it almost seems like Paizo pretends this blip never happened, during the Cheliax companion and Bastards of Erebus article.